The Russian government has allowed refineries to sell low-quality fuel due to a shortage
The Russian government has allowed oil refineries to sell automotive gasoline and diesel fuel on the domestic market that do not meet the Euro 5 environmental standard.
Producers have been officially permitted to disregard strict regulations regarding sulfur content and other key quality indicators.
This move was a result of a severe shortage of petroleum products in the country, which government officials are attempting to mitigate by lowering the environmental standards for fuel.
The government adopted the relevant decision back in the fall of 2025, expecting it to remain in effect until May 1, 2026.
However, due to the further deterioration of the supply situation and the deepening fuel crisis, the permit’s validity had to be extended again.
According to sources cited by the Russian publication, fuel with reduced quality specifications is intended solely for consumption in the domestic market and will not be exported.
However, even a significant relaxation of technical requirements for fuel is not enough to fully resolve the problem of a large-scale shortage.
Industry experts note that even the increased permissible sulfur content level does not allow a significant number of mini-refineries to be brought into production.
The raw materials and technological capabilities of such small enterprises are so outdated that their finished products do not even meet these relaxed temporary standards.
According to market experts, the emergence of additional volumes of low-quality petroleum products can only partially and temporarily alleviate the local shortage currently being acutely felt in many regions.
However, experts are warning vehicle owners against using such a substitute. Fuel with a high sulfur content can quickly damage modern fuel systems and car engines and render them inoperable.
Retail gasoline prices at gas stations in Russia have risen to record levels
The shortage of automotive fuel, previously observed in the temporarily occupied Crimea, has begun to spread to the southern regions of the Russian Federation. Residents of the Krasnodar Krai and Rostov Oblast are reporting shortages of gasoline and diesel fuel.
In the temporarily occupied Sevastopol, restrictions on gasoline sales have been introduced due to fuel supply problems following strikes on Russian refineries. Russian Telegram channels reported this on May 22.
