Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree significantly restricting the dissemination of information on the operations of oil refineries and energy exports. The new measures cover data on refining volumes, exports and supplies of petroleum products, prices, buyers, sellers, intermediaries, transportation routes and storage locations. The decision comes amid continued attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure and growing sanctions pressure on the oil sector.

On September 28, Vladimir Putin signed a decree introducing additional restrictions on the disclosure of information concerning Russia’s fuel and energy sector. According to the document, the restrictions apply, in particular, to information on crude oil refining volumes at individual refineries, petroleum product output, export volumes, prices, counterparties and logistics routes.

The restrictions also cover information on the transportation of crude oil and petroleum products, including routes, terminals, storage facilities and export operations. The dissemination of relevant customs data is also restricted. The Russian government is required within ten days to determine the specific list of products subject to the new requirements.

Of particular significance is the restriction on publishing some of this information through the mass media and the internet if the relevant data have not been voluntarily disclosed by the company itself. As a result, access by external observers to information on Russia’s oil sector is becoming even more limited.

Putin Restricts Publication of Information on Russia’s Energy Sector

The Kremlin’s decision fits into a broader trend of declining transparency in Russia’s energy sector following the introduction of Western sanctions. According to CCBS, restrictions on the disclosure of energy-related information are intended, among other things, to make it more difficult to track Russian energy flows and enforce sanctions mechanisms.

The reduction in publicly available information could complicate efforts to determine the actual volumes of Russian exports and refining, as well as to monitor changes in logistics patterns. This is particularly important amid the use of alternative trade routes and intermediaries to maintain supplies to foreign markets.

The decree also comes at a time of increased pressure on Russia’s oil infrastructure. In recent weeks, Ukraine has carried out strikes against Russian oil refineries, fuel depots and other energy infrastructure facilities. At the same time, Russian authorities are facing the need to maintain domestic fuel supplies while preserving export capacity.

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, in a statement published on September 21, repeated strikes had put up to 45% of Russia’s total oil refining capacity out of operation. In late September, a fire was also reported at an oil depot in Krasnodar Krai following a drone attack, while several days earlier the Ukrainian side reported a strike on the Ilsky Oil Refinery in the same region.

Against this backdrop, the absence of reliable and timely information on actual refinery utilization, refining volumes and exports could significantly complicate assessments of the scale of damage to Russia’s oil infrastructure.

Restrictions on access to data are significant not only from the perspective of information policy. For the Russian leadership, control over energy statistics is becoming a tool for managing sensitive information amid military and sanctions pressure.

Russian oil remains one of the country’s key sources of external revenue, meaning that any changes in production, refining and export volumes have a direct impact on the state of the economy and Moscow’s ability to finance government spending.

At the same time, conditions on external markets are becoming more challenging. Indian refiners expect further reductions in Russian oil supplies in October and November amid declining Russian exports and strong competition from China for available Russian barrels.

Thus, the Kremlin’s decision to further restrict access to energy data comes at a time when Russia’s oil industry is simultaneously facing physical risks to its infrastructure, sanctions-related constraints and the need to maintain export flows.

Under these conditions, greater information opacity allows Moscow to reduce the amount of data available to external observers regarding the state of the oil sector. At the same time, however, it increases uncertainty over the actual scale of disruptions to refining operations, export logistics and the supply of Russian petroleum products to international markets.

#RUSSIA

#NEWS

29.09.2026 08:27