President Vladimir Putin told senior officials on Sunday that fuel supply problems have created shortages across regions of Russia and that a specially tasked group is working to guarantee sufficient deliveries throughout the country.
Speaking at a meeting focused on fuel supply and distribution, Putin said the government needs to limit the effects of Ukrainian drone strikes on oil installations, which he linked to the shortages currently being felt. He urged concrete measures to ensure that agricultural operations receive necessary fuel allocations and said authorities are weighing a possible ban on diesel exports.
"You are well aware that problems for drivers and for businesses persist," he told meeting participants, according to accounts published by Russian news agencies. "Unfortunately, there are still queues at gas stations too." The president reported that gasoline reserves are being used and currently stand at 1.7 million metric tons, and he stated that production in July should be higher than in June.
Putin described the work of a round-the-clock task force on fuel supplies and called for "systemic measures that match the scale of current challenges" to boost supply and keep prices at a reasonable level. He said the government is considering "the need to introduce a complete ban on the export of diesel fuel."
The comments came as Ukraine has stepped up medium and long-range attacks on industrial targets in Russia and on Russian-controlled territories inside Ukraine, with the strikes focusing primarily on the oil sector, the president said. That pattern was presented in the meeting as a direct factor contributing to the distribution and availability problems being observed.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak was reported earlier as saying there was no need for Russia to prohibit diesel exports. The report attributed that statement to Interfax news agency.
With gasoline reserves drawn down to the level cited by the president and officials reporting intensified targeting of oil-related infrastructure, the government has prioritized both supply coordination and potential policy tools - including export restrictions - to address regional shortages and to protect vulnerable sectors such as agriculture. The task force is positioned as the operational arm to monitor flows and implement the measures discussed at the meeting.