How Ukraine's Drone Campaign Drove Russia to Authorize Euro-3 Gasoline and a Wave of Emergency Fuel Measures

The Euro-3 Authorization: Trading Fuel Quality for Quantity

On July 3, 2026, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree authorizing the sale of Euro-3-grade gasoline through the end of 2026 . Key details:

• A similar scheme was introduced temporarily in autumn 2025 and has now been extended and formalized .
• The decree allows certain refineries to sell gasoline with sulfur content up to 150 mg/kg — versus the Euro-5 standard of 10 mg/kg, a 15-fold increase .
• The fuel will not carry the Eurasian Economic Union's conformity mark, meaning it is explicitly lower-quality and cannot be sold in other EAEU member states .
• A separate draft decree reportedly considered lowering standards as far as Euro-2 — a grade banned in Russia since 2013 — for one year through July 2027 .

The reasoning is straightforward: by relaxing environmental specifications, refineries can maximize output from damaged or less sophisticated processing units without needing full hydrocracking or desulfurization capacity — precisely the equipment that drone strikes have knocked out .

Emergency Measures: Rationing, Export Bans, and Imports

Fuel Rationing

Fuel rationing has spread to more than half of Russia's regions — over 25 regions as of mid-June 2026 . Some petrol stations have imposed 20-liter per customer limits, with long queues forming . Rationing has hit major cities including Moscow and St. Petersburg .

State of Emergency in Crimea

The fuel shortage began in Crimea, and the region has been placed under a state of emergency over fuel supply .

Export Bans

• Russia banned gasoline exports starting in September 2025, initially through end of 2025, then extended through 2026 .
• In April–July 2026, a temporary ban on petrol exports was imposed to prioritize domestic supply .
• The government has weighed expanding restrictions to diesel and kerosene exports as well .
• Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin wrote to Putin proposing to also suspend exchange sales quotas for Euro-5 fuel until capacity is restored .

Emergency Imports: A Reversal for a Major Oil Exporter

India: Russia has begun seaborne gasoline imports from India — a dramatic reversal for a country that built its power on oil exports. India shipped at least 60,000 metric tons initially, with two tankers of 30,000–40,000 tons each bound for Russia . Russia plans to import around 400,000 tons per month . India, which became Russia's largest crude oil buyer after the invasion of Ukraine, is now supplying its former customer with refined fuel .

Kazakhstan: Russia is in talks to import about 50,000 metric tons of AI-92 gasoline from Kazakhstan . However, Kazakhstan is a relatively small fuel producer, and sources said supplies are unlikely to be significant .

Belarus: Imports from Belarus have also been part of the discussion as a regional supply source .

The draft decree would also permit imports of lower-grade fuel (below Euro-5) from these countries .

Key Claims: Verified

Bottom line: The Euro-3 authorization and all accompanying emergency measures are a direct response to Ukrainian drone strikes that have destroyed roughly a third of Russia's refining capacity, forcing Moscow to trade fuel quality for quantity, ban exports, ration gasoline across half the country, and — in an extraordinary reversal — import gasoline from India and Kazakhstan.