Russia is considering fuel imports and corresponding subsidies to cap prices as ways to mitigate supply disruptions of petrol and diesel caused by Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries, Vedomosti daily reported on Tuesday, citing two unnamed sources.
Numerous regions across Russia, the world’s third-largest crude oil producer, have reported restrictions on fuel sales, rising prices of oil products and long queues at filling stations due to supply shortages.
Apart from supplying crude oil overseas, Russia normally exports various oil products.
However, Ukrainian attacks on its refineries have forced it to ban exports of petrol and jet fuel.
The newspaper said imports were raised as an option at a meeting on fuel supplies chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on Monday.
Two industry sources told Reuters that subsidies on imported fuel were also considered at the meeting, with the aim of capping fuel prices, a sensitive issue for the public and an unwanted trigger for wider inflation.
