- Russia imported a record 172,000 tonnes of refined fuel from India in August due to Ukrainian drone attacks
- India supplied 120,000 tonnes of gasoline worth about €78 million, mostly from Vadinar refinery in Gujarat
- Vadinar refinery sourced 100% of its crude from Russia in the first eight months of 2026, up from 81% in 2025
Russia turned to India for a record volume of refined fuel in August as a sustained Ukrainian drone campaign battered the country's refineries, squeezing domestic production, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Russia brought in 172,000 tonnes of petroleum products in August, with Indian suppliers accounting for roughly seven in every 10 tonnes, according to CREA's latest monthly assessment.
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The imports were more than seven times the previous monthly record and exceeded the combined volume imported during all of 2025. India supplied 120,000 tonnes of gasoline worth about €78 million.
CREA said the fuel was produced at the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, operated by Nayara Energy, which is 49.13% owned by Russia's state-controlled Rosneft.
The refinery sourced all of its crude from Russia during the first eight months of 2026, compared with 81% of its crude supplies during the whole of 2025, according to CREA.
The development highlights the changing dynamics of Russia's oil trade as repeated Ukrainian attacks have disrupted refining operations and reduced domestic fuel availability. Gasoline accounted for 74% of Russia's oil-product imports in August, compared with an average of just 6% between 2023 and 2025.
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CREA said gasoline cargoes from Vadinar were transferred between vessels off Egypt before being shipped to Russia's Arctic port of Beloe More. The report said the vessels involved were sanctioned tankers.
Russia's overall seaborne oil-product exports fell 21% in August, while revenues from products unloaded at destination ports declined 32% from July to €78 million a day.
Oil-product loadings at Russian ports have fallen for three consecutive months and were less than half their August 2025 level. India remained Russia's second-largest fossil-fuel customer after China, importing €4.8 billion worth of Russian hydrocarbons in August.
Crude oil accounted for €4.1 billion, or 87%, of India's purchases. However, Indian crude imports from Russia fell 24% month-on-month after reaching record levels in the previous two months.
Meanwhile, Russia's Urals crude price rose 23% in August to $69.90 a barrel, significantly above the G7 and European Union price cap of $44.10, CREA said.
Russia's overall fossil-fuel export revenues declined 8% in August to €604 million a day, while export volumes fell 7%.
(With PTI inputs)
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