Belarus increased fuel supplies to Russia in May

In May 2026, Belarus significantly increased rail shipments of motor gasoline and diesel fuel from its refineries to the Russian market. 

It is noted that the increase in exports is linked to a fuel shortage in Russia, which arose against the backdrop of a seasonal rise in demand and a decline in petroleum product production. This, in turn, was a consequence of drone attacks on a number of large Russian refineries, which led to disruptions in the operations of some facilities.

Among the facilities targeted in May are, in particular, Kirishinefteorgsintez, owned by Surgutneftegaz; Lukoil’s Volgograd refinery; the Syzran refinery; and Rosneft’s Ryazan oil refining company.

Against this backdrop, Belarus, which has two large refineries with a combined processing capacity of about 24 million tons per year, has declared its readiness to partially compensate for the fuel shortage in the Russian market. This was previously reported by Belarusian state media, citing statements from the country’s leadership.

According to sources, in May, gasoline shipments from Belarusian refineries to Russia increased by approximately 11% compared to April, reaching about 57,000 tons. At the same time, diesel fuel supplies increased by about 23%—to nearly 50,000 tons.

In addition, over 5,000 tons of jet fuel were shipped to the Russian market during the month, traders specify.

According to estimates from sources, overall, during the first five months of 2026, the volume of rail gasoline shipments from Belarus to Russia increased nearly 13-fold compared to the same period in 2025 and exceeded 270,000 tons. Diesel fuel shipments during the same period increased approximately threefold—to about 179,000 tons.

Sources also report that in the second half of 2025, Belarusian refineries in Novopolotsk and Mozyr began processing toll-processed crude oil supplied from Russia. The refined petroleum products can be directed both to the domestic Russian market and for export to other countries.

Additionally, it is noted that transit rail shipments of Belarusian petroleum products through Russian territory for further export via ports increased by nearly a third in May. The bulk of these shipments were routed through Murmansk and Astrakhan.

At the same time, there were no shipments of diesel fuel for export via Russian ports in May, and the volume of fuel oil shipments decreased slightly.

Overall, for the period January–May 2026, the transit of Belarusian petroleum products through Russian ports increased significantly compared to last year.

Cooperation between Minsk and Moscow in the field of transit and transshipment of petroleum products has been ongoing since 2021 within the framework of relevant intergovernmental agreements.