Putin classified information about the operations of Russian oil refineries

On September 28, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a decree restricting access to information in the fuel and energy sector. The document effectively allows a significant amount of data on the Russian oil industry to be classified.

In particular, the restrictions will apply to information on oil refining volumes and production output at Russian refineries. Information on energy exports, sellers, buyers, intermediaries, and mutual settlements will also be subject to the ban.

Separately, Russian authorities have banned the dissemination of data on the dates and times of deliveries, the modes of transport used to move energy resources, routes, terminals, and warehouses—including their geographic coordinates.

The ban applies not only to government agencies that publish statistics but also to the media and any online publications. An exception was made for information that a company itself directly discloses about its own operations.

The decree was issued amid Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. The Russian authorities are thus restricting access to data that could reveal the actual state of operations at oil refineries and energy exports.

The Russian government is required to determine, within 10 days, a specific list of energy products for which the dissemination of information will be prohibited.

Earlier, the Kremlin responded to a proposal for a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin at the G20.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has not yet made a decision regarding his participation in the G20 summit and, accordingly, regarding a meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.