CREA data cited by the Times of India show India became Russia's largest fuel supplier in August 2026 as war damage curbed domestic refining.
Russia imported a record 172,000 tonnes of oil products in August 2026, more than seven times its previous monthly high, after sustained Ukrainian drone strikes damaged refineries and depots across the country, the Times of India reported on September 13, 2026, citing the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Nearly 70% of those imports came from India, CREA's monthly report found, making India the dominant source of Russia's imported fuel that month.
Scale of India's Gasoline Shipments
India supplied about 120,000 tonnes of gasoline to Russia in August, valued at roughly €78 million, according to the Times of India's companion report drawing on CREA figures. Gasoline made up about 74% of Russia's total oil-product imports that month, sharply up from an average of around 6% between 2023 and 2025. Much of the exported fuel was refined from Russian crude at Indian plants, including Nayara Energy's Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, which has Russian shareholder ties, with cargoes shipped to Russian ports such as Vitino in the Arctic, per earlier Times of India and Indian Express reporting.
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Refinery Attacks Drove the Shortfall
Russia, traditionally a leading global exporter of crude and refined fuel, has faced repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries and energy infrastructure since early 2026, including facilities at Omsk, Ryazan, Orsk and one near Moscow, according to India Today's tally of Reuters and AP data. Reuters reported on July 15, 2026, that Russian energy firms approached Indian refiners for additional gasoline after strikes knocked out a significant share of refining capacity, with some sources estimating up to 40% of capacity unlikely to return quickly. The Guardian reported on August 20, 2026, that Russia's government confirmed it had begun importing gasoline, including a shipment from India.
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India's Dual Role in Russian Energy Trade
India also remains the second-largest buyer of Russian crude after China, importing about €4.8 billion worth of Russian hydrocarbons in August 2026, of which €4.1 billion, or 87%, was crude oil, per CREA figures cited by the Times of India. India's crude purchases have eased from earlier peaks even as gasoline exports to Russia surged, underscoring what Indian outlets have described as a reverse flow in the two countries' energy relationship.
