The government may allow for a year – until July 2027 – the production and circulation of gasoline and diesel fuel in Russia while lowering environmental standards to Euro 2. The publication has seen the relevant draft resolution, Kommersant has learned.
In addition to production, the country’s authorities may allow the import of gasoline with these characteristics. It will not be subject to compliance requirements with technical regulations.
The sale of Euro-2 has been banned in Russia since 2013.
NEFT Research Communications Director Dmitry Prokofiev explained that the main difference in fuels with different standards lies in the requirements and complexity of production.
Thus, the Euro-2 program allows naphtha to be used as a base without deep processing, involving capacities that cannot produce high-quality fuel, and simplifying the production process. This will help release hundreds of thousands of tons of gasoline per month into the market.
However, such a decision is unlikely to fully compensate for the volumes of fuel lost due to attacks on refineries. The expert said that for most modern cars, using Euro-2 fuel may be unsafe.
A solution is being prepared due to the fuel crisis the country is witnessing. The situation worsened in May amid Ukrainian drone attacks on the oil industry in Russian regions.
This is the second attempt to combat fuel shortages by lowering standards. In the fall of 2025, the government has already allowed some oil refineries to produce gasoline and diesel with Euro-3 standards for the domestic market. According to Kommersant’s industry source, the easing of gasoline requirements was most likely not enough.