The gasoline shortage in Russia is beginning to affect Central Asian countries, which are largely dependent on Russian fuel supplies.
According to information from Bloomberg, Kyrgyzstan has appealed to Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan with a request to help ensure stable supplies of petroleum products. The country's Ministry of Energy stated that current fuel reserves are sufficient, and the appeal to partners is precautionary. Simultaneously, the authorities introduced price caps on gasoline for consumers.
In Uzbekistan, AI-92 brand gasoline has significantly increased in price over the past month. Since the beginning of June, its cost has risen by almost 12 percent, and the volumes of supplies to the exchange have approximately halved.
Kazakhstan, the largest oil producer in the region, has strengthened border controls to stop the illegal export of fuel. Previously, the country also restricted railway exports of certain petroleum products. The government instructed to take additional measures to prevent a fuel shortage in the domestic market.
Problems in Central Asian countries arose against the backdrop of a gasoline shortage in Russia. It is related to the decrease in production at oil refineries after drone attacks. By the end of June, most Russian regions reported restrictions on fuel sales or interruptions in its supplies.
Since April 1, Russia has also introduced a ban on gasoline exports, leaving an exception only for supplies within the framework of intergovernmental agreements operating with some Central Asian countries.
This situation shows how much the states of the region remain dependent on Russian supplies of petroleum products, despite the growth of economic cooperation with China.
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