MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia will introduce a partial ban on diesel exports until the end of the year and also extend its current ban on gasoline exports, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying on Thursday.
Several Russian regions are facing shortages of certain grades of fuel after Ukraine stepped up drone attacks on numerous refineries.
Novak was quoted as saying there was a small deficit of oil products, but stockpiles were being used to cover the shortfall.
The diesel ban applies to re-sellers but not to producers.
The gasoline ban covers producers as well as re-sellers, but does not affect inter-governmental agreements between Russia and a number of other countries, such as Mongolia.
“We will soon extend the ban on gasoline exports until the end of the year, and a ban on diesel fuel exports for non-producers will also be introduced until the end of the year,” Novak said, according to Interfax.
“This will allow us to further supply the market with petroleum products,” he said.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
