Russian seaborne oil product exports fell in April amid drone attacks, data from industry sources shows

Tatneft Imeni V.D. Shashina PAO

15/05/2026 10:50

MOSCOW, May 15 (Reuters) - Russia's seaborne oil product exports in April fell 9.8% month-on-month and 17% from a year ago to 7.77 million metric tons, data from industry sources and Reuters calculations showed on Friday, as Ukrainian drones struck ports and major refineries.

Kyiv has stepped up attacks aimed at disrupting Moscow's ability to finance the Ukraine war, forcing around 700,000 barrels per day of Russian crude processing capacity offline between January and May.

April oil products export loadings dropped to their lowest level since November 2025, when two major Black Sea ports - Tuapse and Novorossiysk - halted fuel shipments following drone attacks.

In late March, drone strikes on the Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga caused fires at fuel storage tanks. As a result, port terminals were unable to handle oil products shipments.

April oil product exports from Russia's Baltic ports — Primorsk, Vysotsk, St. Petersburg and Ust-Luga - dropped by 31.4% from the previous month to 3.32 million tons, data from the industry sources showed.

Fuel loadings for export via Black Sea and Azov Sea ports, meanwhile, rose last month by 20.3% from March to 3.65 million tons, as traders partially rerouted fuel flows from the Baltic ports, the data showed.

Oil product exports from the Arctic ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk increased in April to 104,300 tons, up from 80,100 tons the previous month.

Fuel export loadings at Russia's Far East ports also rose last month by 5.6% month-on-month to 698,000 tons, the data showed.

 (Reporting by Reuters
Editing by Joe Bavier)