Russia Turns to India for Petrol as Ukraine Strikes Hit Oil Refineries

New Delhi: Russia, one of the world's biggest oil producers and refiners, has been forced to look overseas for petrol supplies after repeated Ukrainian attacks damaged its oil-refining infrastructure.

India has emerged as an important source of those supplies, marking an unusual reversal in the long-standing energy relationship between the two countries.

According to ship-tracking data cited by The Indian Express, India dispatched close to 1 million barrels of petrol to Russia during June and July 2026. The flow is significant because Russia has traditionally been a major exporter of refined petroleum products rather than an importer.

Why is Russia importing petrol?

A series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries has reduced the country's refining capacity.

The damage has been compounded by routine refinery maintenance, strong summer fuel demand and logistical problems.

Russia's petrol market is particularly vulnerable because its refineries normally produce only a relatively small surplus over domestic consumption.

When refinery operations are disrupted, there is therefore limited spare capacity to compensate for the lost production.

According to Kpler data cited in the report, petrol exports from India to Russia increased from around 12,000 barrels per day in June to about 21,000 barrels per day in July.

Together, the shipments amounted to close to one million barrels.

India becomes an unexpected supplier

The development represents a major change in the traditional India-Russia energy relationship.

For several years, India has been one of the world's largest buyers of Russian crude oil.

Following Western sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine disrupted Moscow's traditional European markets, Russian crude was increasingly redirected towards countries such as India and China.

India's refiners bought large quantities of Russian crude and processed it into fuels and other petroleum products.

Now, some of those refined products are travelling in the opposite direction — from India back to Russia.

Nayara Energy plays an important role

Nayara Energy's Vadinar refinery in Gujarat has emerged as the main Indian source of the petrol shipments.

The refinery has significant Russian shareholding and has a capacity of around 400,000 barrels per day.

Trade sources indicate that Nayara has supplied a significant portion of the petrol being shipped to Russia.

This creates an unusual situation in which Russian crude can arrive in India, be refined at an Indian facility and then be shipped back as finished petrol to help meet Russian domestic demand.

Petrol is more vulnerable than diesel

Russia's fuel shortage is particularly serious in the petrol market.

The country's refining system is generally geared towards producing considerably more diesel than it consumes domestically.

As a result, diesel supplies have been relatively more comfortable.

Petrol, however, normally has a much smaller surplus.

When refinery output falls, the petrol market can therefore move into shortage much more quickly.

Sumit Ritolia, modelling and refining manager at Kpler, explained that under normal conditions Russian refinery production broadly covers domestic petrol demand, leaving only a limited surplus.

A fall in refinery processing can therefore have an immediate effect on availability.

Russia restricts fuel exports

To protect domestic supplies, Moscow has introduced restrictions on fuel exports.

Russia has also taken steps to limit the availability of petrol at some filling stations.

Reports indicate that motorists in several regions have faced restrictions on the amount of petrol they can purchase.

The government has also restricted diesel exports as it seeks to maintain a comfortable supply cushion ahead of the winter season.

Belarus remains the biggest supplier

Despite India's growing role, most of Russia's imported petrol continues to come from nearby countries, particularly Belarus.

Belarus is well positioned geographically and has refinery infrastructure closely connected to Russia's energy system.

One of Belarus's two major refineries is reportedly 42% owned by a Russian consortium, while both refineries process Russian crude.

This makes Belarus a natural source of additional petrol for Russia.

Kazakhstan has limited capacity

Kazakhstan is another neighbouring option, but its ability to supply large volumes is limited.

The country is itself a net importer of petrol, meaning it does not have a substantial surplus available for Russia.

This makes long-distance seaborne imports increasingly important as Moscow looks for additional supplies.

Long journey from India

The distance between India and Russia makes the new trade route particularly unusual.

The petrol shipments have involved complex shipping arrangements, including transfers between vessels.

Some cargoes loaded at Vadinar have travelled towards Egypt, where ship-to-ship transfers have taken place before the fuel continued towards Russia.

According to shipping data, several vessels have been involved in these movements.

The use of ship-to-ship transfers can make the final destination and precise origin of cargoes more difficult to establish.

More Indian petrol may follow

Trade sources and analysts expect the flow of Indian petrol to Russia to continue while the Russian refining system remains under pressure.

Indian refiners have exportable fuel volumes, giving Russia another option beyond its traditional suppliers in Belarus and neighbouring markets.

Russia could also increasingly look towards Turkish refineries for petrol.

However, India is expected to remain an important supplier as long as the Russian domestic shortage persists.

Ukraine's refinery strikes

The disruption to Russia's fuel market is closely linked to Ukraine's strategy of targeting energy infrastructure.

Repeated drone attacks have damaged or disrupted several Russian refineries.

The strikes have reduced refinery runs and forced Moscow to find alternative ways of keeping domestic fuel markets supplied.

The consequences are significant because Russia's refining industry plays a crucial role not only in domestic fuel supply but also in the country's petroleum exports.

A reversal in the energy trade

The new petrol flow highlights how dramatically Russia's energy trade has changed since the beginning of the Ukraine war.

Russia was traditionally a major exporter of both crude oil and refined petroleum products.

Now, damage to its refining infrastructure has forced the country to import finished fuel.

At the same time, India has expanded its role as a major refining and petroleum-products exporter.

This has created an unusual two-way energy relationship between the two countries.

Russia's changing fuel strategy

Moscow's immediate priority is ensuring that domestic petrol supplies remain sufficient.

Restrictions on exports, increased imports and efforts to maintain refinery operations are all part of that strategy.

The government is also trying to build a sufficient diesel cushion ahead of winter.

However, the petrol market remains more exposed because of the limited buffer between domestic production and consumption.

What this means for India

For India, the development highlights the country's growing importance in global refined fuel markets.

Indian refineries have significant processing capacity and can export petroleum products when international demand and margins make it attractive.

The Russia-bound shipments also demonstrate how India's refining sector can respond when traditional fuel supply chains are disrupted.

At the same time, the unusual trade raises questions about the future of India's role in supplying refined products to international markets.

What happens next?

The continuation of India's petrol exports to Russia will largely depend on the condition of Russian refineries and the duration of Ukrainian attacks.

If Russian refining capacity recovers quickly, the need for imported petrol could decline.

But if refinery disruptions continue, Moscow may need to rely increasingly on suppliers such as India, Belarus and Turkey.

For now, the movement of petrol from India to Russia represents a striking reversal: a major oil-producing country is importing fuel from a country that has become one of its biggest crude customers.

The development shows how the Ukraine conflict is reshaping not just military and political relationships, but also the global flow of energy.