India supplies nearly a million barrels of gasoline to Russia as Moscow faces refinery attacks

Following a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks that cut Russian refinery output by up to 70 %, Moscow has turned to overseas suppliers to meet its gasoline needs. Data from Vortexa shows that in August Russia imported around 125,000 barrels per day of gasoline, a record level, with India providing almost a million barrels over the last two months. The bulk of the Indian cargoes came from the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, a plant partially owned by Rosneft, and were shipped on vessels listed on sanctioned fleets, often using dark ship-to-ship transfers in the Mediterranean.

India’s role is linked to its increased purchase of Russian crude, which accounted for more than half of its oil imports in June and July. While Russia has extended bans on gasoline and diesel exports through early 2027, its seaborne diesel shipments remain far below previous years. Analysts expect the country to continue importing gasoline in the short term due to its historically lower gasoline-to-diesel production ratio.