The Russian government has allowed the sale of Euro-2, Euro-3, and Euro-4 gasoline and diesel fuel at gas stations. The Ministry of Energy called the measure temporary and said it will be in effect from September 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
The government decree allows the sale of Euro-2, Euro-3, and Euro-4 gasoline and diesel fuel at gas stations. The measure will be in effect from September 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. The Ministry of Energy called it temporary and linked it to bringing the requirements for retail fuel sales into line with earlier decisions to allow such fuels to circulate.
The ministry clarified that previously these grades could be supplied by refineries under domestic contracts, but their sale at gas stations was restricted. Now, during the established period, they will be able to enter retail under uniform market conditions. Gas stations will have to provide buyers with full information about the fuel’s environmental class, and citizens will be able to choose fuel themselves, taking its characteristics into account.
On August 31, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak instructed the Ministry of Energy and the Federal Antimonopoly Service to tighten control over prices at independent gas stations. If necessary, the agencies have been asked to introduce measures to ensure the stability of fuel supplies and gasoline prices. Previously, the government had already allowed the production and sale of Euro-2, Euro-3, and Euro-4 gasoline, but the Ministry of Energy believed that that decree was insufficient for the full-scale implementation of such fuel across the country.
At the end of July, it was reported that Ukraine had managed to disable about a third of the refining capacity of oil refineries in Russia. At the end of August, it became known that oil refining in Russia had fallen to its lowest level in 20 years. In July, Izvestia wrote that the difficulties affected almost all private gas stations in the country, which account for about 60% of all gas stations in Russia, and owners of independent gas stations began putting assets up for sale.
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