Russia imported a 30,000 tonne gasoline cargo from Morocco as only 8 of its 26 major refineries stay in operation

According to a Mehr News Agency report from Iran's Oil Ministry published on Friday, 31 July 2026, Russia has imported a 30,000 tonne cargo of gasoline from Morocco. The report says a Panama flagged tanker is currently discharging the cargo at the Arctic port of Murmansk, having loaded it at the Moroccan port of Tangier roughly two weeks earlier.

According to the same report, only 8 of Russia's 26 major gasoline and diesel producing refineries have been operating since the start of this year. The Financial Times reported on Thursday, 30 July, that roughly half of the country's refining capacity has been lost.

Analysts say Russia's only short term solution is continuous imports; after imposing a six month ban on gasoline exports, Moscow is now also bringing in gasoline by rail from Belarus and Kazakhstan. Fuel imports by one of the world's largest energy exporters are a measure of how deep the squeeze on refined products has become, a squeeze that is pressing on diesel and gasoline prices in international markets.