Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak ​on Friday (March 27, 2026) instructed the Energy Ministry ‌to draft a resolution banning ​gasoline exports from April 1, ⁠the Russian government said.

The state-run TASS news agency earlier reported that the ‌ban would remain in place until July 31.

Mr. Novak said ‌that turmoil in the ‌global ⁠oil and oil products market, caused ⁠by the crisis in West Asia, is leading to significant price fluctuations. ​At the same ‌time, the high demand for Russian energy resources in foreign markets remains a positive factor, he added.

Crude ‌oil processing volumes remain ​at last year’s level, ensuring a stable supply of oil ⁠products, the government said in a statement.

Several regions in Russia and ‌parts of Ukraine under Russian control were reporting gasoline shortages last year after Ukraine stepped up attacks on Russian oil refineries and amid a seasonal surge in ‌fuel demand.

Russia has repeatedly imposed curbs ​on gasoline and diesel exports to rein in rising fuel ⁠prices and tackle shortages.

According to industry ⁠sources, the country exported nearly 5 million metric tons of ‌gasoline last year, or about 117,000 barrels per day.

Moscow and Beijing have been discussing ways to expand Russian oil exports to China, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday (November 25, 2025).

China and India have become the main buyers of Russian oil since the start of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022. China imports roughly 1.4 million barrels of Russian oil per day by sea and approximately 900,000 bpd of Russian oil by pipeline.

Last month the United States introduced sanctions against Russia’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil .

Russian President Vladimir Putin derided the sanctions as an unfriendly act, saying they would not significantly affect the Russian economy and talking up Russia’s importance to the global market.

There have been conflicting reports about prospects for Russian oil supplies to China and India, while Russia’s overall crude exports have been relatively steady so far.

Mr. Novak told a Sino-Russian business forum in Beijing that Russia has been discussing with Chinese partners the possibilities of expanding oil exports to China.

He mentioned that intergovernmental agreements provide for the possibility of extending the oil supply terms to China through Kazakhstan for 10 years until 2033.