Russian oil companies have failed to fulfill more than half of their gasoline contracts due to attacks on refineries
From May through September 2026, Russian oil companies failed to fulfill approximately 60% of the gasoline supply contracts concluded on the St. Petersburg International Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange.
On average, oil companies fulfilled only 41% of the contracts they had signed.
Another 20% of the agreements resulted in default or were canceled, while 39% of the contracts remain unfulfilled.
In 24% of cases, the delay in gasoline shipments has already exceeded the established 30-day limit.
The largest share of unfulfilled obligations falls to Lukoil—46%—and Rosneft—28%.
More than half of Rosneft’s overdue contracts have remained unfulfilled for over a month. At Lukoil, such contracts account for nearly one-third of the total.
According to a source at Kommersant, the problems with gasoline shipments may be related to the fact that Rosneft’s and Lukoil’s refineries have suffered the greatest number of Ukrainian attacks.
Earlier, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin stated that the company continues to supply the domestic market with fuel.
According to “Kommersant,” Russian oil companies are prioritizing government orders.
This involves supplying fuel to defense and industrial enterprises, the agricultural sector, and municipalities. A source for the publication claims that the Russian government has approved this specific order of priority for deliveries.
At the same time, oil companies’ gas stations have ended up near the bottom of the priority list.
Experts advise retail market representatives, who are dissatisfied with the supply situation, to import fuel on their own or organize its production by blending components.
Experts believe that the risks of defaulting on exchange contracts have increased due to the shutdown of some oil refining facilities.
According to Rosstat, in May 2026, production of petroleum products in Russia fell by 13.5% year-over-year.
In June, the decline accelerated to 21.7%, and in July, production volumes were 19.3% lower than in the same month of the previous year.
Thus, the Russian oil refining industry is simultaneously facing a decline in production, damage to refineries, and difficulties in fulfilling contractual obligations.
Earlier, the Financial Times reported that Ukraine had changed its approach to attacks on the Russian energy sector.
Instead of large-scale strikes, targeted attacks on oil refineries—aimed at damaging their critical components—are being used with increasing frequency.
According to the authors of the article, this tactic allows for taking a facility out of commission for a longer period. As a result, the consequences of precision strikes may cost Moscow more than large-scale attacks, the journalists note, citing military officials involved in planning such operations.
Against this backdrop, the rise in the number of unfulfilled gasoline contracts may indicate worsening problems in the Russian oil refining industry.
Recently, the Russian oil refinery “Kirishinefteorgsintez” in the Leningrad Region completely halted oil refining following a drone attack on August 30. According to Reuters, two primary refining units at the plant were damaged, and two others were not operating at the time of the strike.
Russia has reportedly restored 90% of the refining capacity damaged as a result of Ukrainian attacks. According to Vladimir Putin, approximately 10% of Russian refineries’ capacity remains damaged at this time.
