(MOSCOW) – Fuel shortages across Russia have forced the government to permit the sale of lower-grade petrol, branded as “anti-crisis petrol” by state media, following sustained Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries.
Petrol stations are now allowed to sell fuel that fails to meet modern emission standards. The Moscow newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets reports this includes Euro-2 fuel, banned in 2013, which contains 50 times more sulphur than contemporary petrol.
The Russian government has authorised the production and sale of Euro-2 and Euro-4 standard petrol until 1 July 2027. The Ministry of Energy described the move as an anti-crisis measure, claiming it would prevent a petrol shortage amid what it termed changing logistics chains and technological restrictions. No official acknowledgement was made of the drone strikes causing the disruption.
State media assured drivers that older vehicles should not be affected, noting the average age of a car on Russian roads is 15.5 years. However, for modern cars, regular use of low-grade petrol can damage fuel injectors, spark plugs, oxygen sensors, catalytic converters and soot filters. The damage would be gradual rather than instant, but one newspaper warned that Euro-2 sharply reduces an engine’s margin of safety.
Separately, the newspaper Izvestia reported that technical requirements for jet fuel quality may be adjusted to boost production. This includes permitting fuel with less stringent requirements regarding freezing point, after some air carriers flagged problems with fuel provision.
In other developments, Moskovsky Komsomolets reported that American senators confirmed intelligence sharing between the United States and Ukraine has returned to its previous high level. Izvestia wrote that US President Donald Trump approved full intelligence sharing, including information that can be used for strikes on Russia, as occurred under his predecessor Joe Biden. The newspaper described US-Russian relations as getting chillier.
A joke published in Moskovsky Komsomolets reflected the financial strain on ordinary Russians: “After paying off your mortgage, reintroduce food gradually and in small portions. Your stomach needs to get used to eating again.”
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