Russians Have Been Warned Of A Sharp Rise In Gasoline Prices
- 11.06.2026, 12:31
Rosstat reported on "the most severe crisis since 2023."
Following the wholesale market, where gasoline prices have jumped by 30–40% since the start of the year, retail gasoline prices in Russia have begun to rise rapidly.
The average price of fuel at Russian gas stations for the week of June 2–8 increased by 0.9%, according to data from Rosstat. The increase was the highest since the first week of January, when gasoline prices rose by 1.2% due to a VAT hike, and was 4.5 times higher than overall inflation, which Rosstat estimated at 0.2%.
Since the start of the year, gasoline prices at gas stations have risen by 5.6%, and diesel fuel by 4.8%: as a result, fuel inflation exceeded overall inflation (3.5%) by 1.4–1.6 times.
The Russian fuel market is facing “the most severe crisis since 2023,” when wholesale gasoline prices soared by tens of percent due to cuts in subsidies to oil companies, notes economist Kirill Rodionov.
“The trigger for the current price spike was a contraction in supply,” he points out: since the start of the year, drones have attacked more than 30 Russian refineries and forced 8 of the 10 largest plants to shut down. As a result, according to Rosstat, petroleum product production fell by 9.2% year-over-year in April. And in May, according to OilX estimates, refinery utilization fell to its lowest level since 2009—20% below pre-war levels.
According to Rosstat, retail gasoline prices are rising across the board: price increases were recorded in 79 regions of the Russian Federation over the course of the week. The largest jump—7.5% over 7 days—was recorded in Sevastopol, where fuel is sold on ration cards due to shortages. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, according to government statistics, the cost of petroleum products rose by 0.6% and 0.2%, respectively.
“Against the backdrop of unscheduled refinery maintenance, the market is ‘driven’ by uncertainty surrounding future fuel supplies, which is causing a rush of demand and a corresponding rise in prices,” notes Rodionov.
Last year, the annual increase in gasoline prices in Russia reached nearly 13%, setting a 14-year record, and by year-end was twice the rate of inflation—10.8% versus 5.9%. A year earlier, gasoline prices rose by 11.1% amid 9.5% inflation. According to Rosstat statistics, gasoline at gas stations has become 40% more expensive since the start of the war.