Sept. 11, 2026

In brief: Russian media Vertska said it found at least 26 major Russian airports imposing refueling restrictions as the jet fuel crisis worsens; 15 impose them only on foreign airlines, and airports in southern Russia are most affected, as the region is frequently targeted by Ukrainian strikes.

Decommissioned Soviet Tupolev TU-104 decorates the entrance to Vnukovo International airport outside Moscow on September 3, 2026. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)

Jet fuel, like gasoline and diesel, is also refined from crude oil and is therefore affected by the refinery strikes, as Russia can extract the oil but struggles to refine it. Ukraine claimed to have put 43% of Russia’s refining capacity offline by July.

In June, Russia introduced an export ban on jet fuel running from June 1 to Nov. 30, with limited exceptions. It also imposed similar export bans on diesel and gasoline.

In July, Russia was reportedly importing jet fuel from Japan via intermediaries.

The Kremlin has since tried to downplay the crisis, with top officials assuring the public in July that the fuel crisis would not last, but Russian President Vladimir Putin recently acknowledged at a forum that the crisis is real and might last for some time.

Putin tried to downplay the impact on Russia’s economy by claiming that it is more “profitable to export crude oil than to process it domestically.” The claim was countered by a recent think tank report suggesting that both Russia’s export revenues and volumes dropped in August.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/84284