Russia may bring back low-grade gasoline banned in 2013 as Ukrainian drone strikes cause fuel shortages
Russia is considering temporarily allowing the production and sale of gasoline with lower environmental standards (Euro 2), banned since 2013, to address fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries.
The Russian government may permit the production and sale of gasoline and diesel fuel with environmental standards lowered to Euro 2 for one year, until July 2027, according to a draft decree reviewed by the Russian business daily Kommersant. The authorities may also allow the import of such fuel, exempt from the technical regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union.
Euro 2 fuel has been prohibited in Russia since 2013. The main difference between fuel grades lies in sulfur content and production complexity, explained Dmitry Prokofiev, director of communications at NEFT Research. Euro 2 can be made from naphtha without deep refining, enabling refineries that cannot produce higher-quality fuel to continue operating, and simplifying the process to add hundreds of thousands of metric tons of gasoline per month to the market.
However, such a measure is unlikely to fully offset the volume of fuel lost to attacks on oil refineries, and for many modern vehicles, using Euro 2 could be unsafe, Prokofiev said. This is the second attempt to address the fuel shortage by lowering standards. In the fall of 2025, the government allowed some refineries to produce gasoline and diesel meeting Euro 3 standards for the domestic market. According to an industry source cited by Kommersant, easing the gasoline requirements was likely insufficient. The nationwide fuel crisis worsened in May 2026 amid Ukrainian drone strikes on oil-industry facilities across Russia.
