Russia weighs diesel export curbs as drone strikes hit refineries

A surge of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure has squeezed domestic fuel supplies and prompted Moscow to weigh curbs on diesel exports, officials and industry participants said, as shortages were reported across multiple regions this month. The disruptions, which intensified in August and continued into September, have cut refinery throughput, driven wholesale prices to record levels and left some gas stations temporarily unable to sell fuel.

Russian authorities are considering restrictions that would mainly target so called resellers, companies that buy diesel inside the country and then ship it abroad, people familiar with deliberations said. First Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin said Tuesday that any measures necessary to ensure full domestic supply would be taken and that the government may extend an existing ban on gasoline exports, officials said. Traders and analysts warned that even a limited restriction could unsettle international diesel markets because Russia remains a major global supplier.

The strikes have reduced refinery processing and forced some companies to divert crude to export terminals, vessel tracking and port reports show. Average...