Following The Fuel Shortage In Russia, There Was A Shortage Of Motor Oil
- 19.08.2026, 10:18
The shortage is due to unscheduled maintenance at the refinery, among other factors.
Attacks by Ukrainian drones on oil refineries have led not only to a fuel crisis but also to a shortage of motor oils, market participants told "Kommersant" by market participants. Over the past two months, prices for lubricants have risen 1.5–2 times, and delivery times have increased from two days to two weeks, said Vladimir Andreev, a representative of the Fresh marketplace. He clarified that the company purchases oil from Russian manufacturers in 200-liter barrels. “There are no specific stock items for popular oils at all—we buy from intermediaries whatever the manufacturers managed to ship earlier,” he added.
The oil shortage is linked to unscheduled repairs at refineries and restrictions on certain types of raw materials, such as those used in coolants, sources told *Kommersant*. In particular, Russian manufacturers lack the necessary imported additives. “The base [for oils] has always been produced domestically in sufficient quantities, while additives are usually imported from abroad,” Andreev explained. Import shipments are primarily affected by the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, clarified Tatyana Ovchinnikova, director of the Fit Service car service chain . According to her, certain oils periodically disappear from the market due to logistical problems.
At the same time, there is a shortage of imported products as well, especially in the premium segment—Shell, Castrol, BMW, and VAG—says Yulia Trushkova, service director at Rolf. At the same time, difficulties in the fuel market are driving up demand for motor oils. When using “Euro-2” and “Euro-3” standard gasoline with a higher sulfur content, it is necessary to change the oil 1.5 to 2 times more often, noted Dmitry Prokofiev, Director of External Communications at NEFT Research .
Against this backdrop, prices for motor oils have risen by 15–20% since the beginning of the year, and for certain types—by 40%, says Ovchinnikova. According to data from Fit Service, imported products have doubled in price. However, Prokofiev believes that despite the price increase, a shortage of motor oil “in the sense that we see it in the fuel market” is not to be expected.