New Delhi: India has emerged as a major supplier of petrol to Russia after repeated Ukrainian drone attacks severely affected Russian oil refineries and reduced domestic fuel production. According to ship-tracking data and energy analytics firm Vortexa, Russia’s seaborne gasoline imports reached a record level of around 125,000 barrels per day in August, with total imports expected to touch nearly 470,000 tonnes for the month. Indian refiners supplied nearly one million barrels of gasoline over the past two months, with much of the fuel coming from the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, operated by Nayara Energy, which is partly owned by Russia’s Rosneft.

Since 2022, India has significantly increased its purchases of discounted Russian crude oil, making Russia its largest crude supplier. Imports of Russian crude crossed 2.6 million barrels per day in June and July, accounting for more than half of India’s total crude oil imports. The crude is refined at Indian facilities and exported as petroleum products, including petrol. Industry experts say some of the gasoline shipped back to Russia may have been produced using Russian crude processed at Indian refineries.

Russia’s growing dependence on imported gasoline comes as Ukrainian drone strikes continue to damage its energy infrastructure, with Vortexa reporting 32 refinery attacks during July and August alone. The disruptions have forced Moscow to import fuel while maintaining restrictions on domestic fuel exports to stabilise local supplies. Along with India, Turkey and Morocco have also supplied gasoline to Russia in recent weeks. Analysts believe Russia may continue importing petrol in the coming months until refinery operations recover and domestic fuel production returns to normal levels.