Russia is preparing to temporarily halt all gasoline exports from April 1, likely in response to a rise in domestic gasoline prices caused in part by long-range Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure.
Inflation continues to rise, Russians' real incomes continue to fall, and commodity and food prices remain high.
This was summarized by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
During a meeting on March 27, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak instructed the Energy Ministry to prepare a draft decree banning all gasoline exports from April 1 to July 31, 2026, in order to stabilize prices. gasoline and prioritizing supplies for the domestic market.
Russian authorities already suspended gasoline exports in September 2025, but lifted the ban on major exporters at the end of January 2026.
Gasoline prices in Russia have risen sharply since the fall of 2025 following the intensification of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, imposing an increasing burden of the war on the Russian population as inflation continues to rise, real incomes continue to fall, and household goods prices remain high.
Russia's decision to halt gasoline exports comes against the backdrop of ongoing Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in recent weeks, as well as the war in the Middle East, which is contributing to a general rise in energy prices.
Russia's decision to temporarily halt gasoline exports, the revenues from which finance the Russian military machine, is likely the result of growing pressure on the Kremlin to find a balance between financing its military effort and mitigating the costs of the war on its own population.
In recent days, Ukrainian forces have continued their campaign of long-range strikes against Russian defense industry and oil infrastructure, using, among other things, Ukrainian-made FP-5 "Flamingo" cruise missiles and FP-1 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.
On March 28, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces had launched a strike with FP-5 "Flamingo" cruise missiles against the "Promsintez" explosives plant. in Chapaevsk, Samara region (about 890 kilometers from the international border).
The General Staff of Ukraine reported that the plant produces over 30,000 tons of military explosives annually for munitions, including aerial bombs and missiles.
The General Staff of Ukraine confirmed that the strikes damaged the plant and caused secondary explosions at the site. Footage and geo-located photos published on March 28 show an explosion and plumes of smoke from the direction of the "Promsintez" plant.
On the night of March 27-28, Russian forces struck a maternity hospital in the city of Odessa. The Ukrainian Air Force said 180 drones had attacked the Black Sea city.
The head of the military administration of the Odessa region, Oleg Kiper, said that two people were killed and 12 others were injured in the Russian attack on the maternity hospital.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Health reported that 22 pregnant women and 19 newborns were in the maternity hospital at the time of the strike.
The Russian drones also caused damage to Odessa's critical, residential and port infrastructure.