Russia extends gasoline export ban through year-end as crypto fills the sanctions gap

Russia is keeping its gasoline export ban in place through the end of 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced on September 25. The move, designed to shore up domestic fuel supplies battered by Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries, also includes a new partial ban on diesel exports for non-producers. What’s actually happening with Russian fuel exports Novak’s announcement extends the gasoline ban through December 2025. It also introduces a partial prohibition on diesel fuel exports, specifically targeting non-producers, effective immediately through year-end. Russian officials have signaled they plan to lift the diesel export ban once market conditions recover. These restrictions have been a consistent pattern for the Kremlin. Earlier bans covered stretches from April through July, suggesting this isn’t a one-off emergency measure but a rolling strategy to manage fuel availability during wartime conditions. Crypto becomes Russia’s sanctions workaround Western sanctions have made it extraordinarily difficult for Russian enterprises to settle energy trades through conventional banking channels. SWIFT restrictions, correspondent banking cutoffs, and secondary sanctions th...