Sustained Ukrainian drone strikes have knocked out over a quarter of Russia's oil refining capacity, triggering record price spikes, rationing, and long queues at gas stations across the country.
To stabilize panic-buying and fill daily deficits, Moscow is actively importing seaborne gasoline from India and boosting rail supplies from neighboring Belarus.
These shortages have led to rationing, long queues, and record price increases, prompting Russia to seek fuel imports from countries like India and Belarus.
The crisis highlights the growing strategic importance of Africa's expanding refining capacity, particularly Nigeria's Dangote Refinery. Supplying fuel to Russia from Africa faces barriers such as sanctions, shipping costs, and regulatory approvals. Russia has begun importing gasoline from India due to fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian attacks on its refineries.
