MOSCOW, July 21. /TASS/. Government measures to stabilize the fuel market are beginning to produce results, with restrictions on fuel sales already being lifted in a number of regions, more gas stations resuming operations, and queues becoming shorter, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview with Vesti.

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said at a plenary session that the situation on the fuel market would change dramatically in the near future.

The State Duma approved in both the second and third readings legislation introducing an import diesel damper mechanism.

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia, together with its regional offices, has opened 15 cases against several oil companies and independent petroleum market participants.

TASS has compiled the key developments regarding the fuel market.

Novak's statements

Novak said the government's measures to stabilize the fuel market are producing results. "We see that these measures are yielding results, and the market is already beginning to stabilize."

He said that in many regions, "restrictions are already being lifted, which is reflected in the growing number of operating gas stations and shorter queues."

According to Novak, the improvement stems from the ban on petroleum product exports, increased market supplies through imports, higher production volumes, and the postponement of refinery maintenance.

At the same time, he noted that the situation remains strained in certain regions, with the government and companies discussing targeted measures to ensure adequate fuel supplies. "Of course, the situation remains tense in some regions today, and today we held targeted discussions with companies on how to supply these regions with petroleum products," he said.

Novak added that particular attention is being paid to supplying fuel to agricultural producers as the harvest campaign is underway.

All regions participating in the Northern Supply Delivery Program will receive the required volumes of petroleum products, he stressed.

Volodin's statements

During the plenary session, Volodin said he believes the fuel market situation will change dramatically in the near future. "We'll see. Literally tomorrow or the day after, the situation will begin to change dramatically, both in terms of prices and supplies."

He said politicizing the fuel issue and engaging in demagoguery over it is unacceptable and resembles the actions of Russia's adversaries. "These issues must under no circumstances be politicized. Otherwise, it starts to resemble something else -- a ‘fifth column’ from within. Populism and demagoguery in this area are not only destructive but extremely dangerous. We must fight for the country, and any proposals that strengthen the country and solve problems should be supported."

Volodin also said that the "neo-Nazi regime" in Kiev is doing everything possible to create tensions within Russia. "That is why they are striking oil refineries and civilian infrastructure in an attempt to divide society," he said.

Import diesel damper

The State Duma approved in both the second and third readings legislation introducing an import diesel damper mechanism.

The mechanism will apply only while the export ban remains in force.

The provisions were introduced as second-reading amendments to a bill on the taxation of administrators of international company incentive programs.

The amendments raise the compensation coefficient for diesel imports from Belarus to 0.9, in line with the mechanism already in place for gasoline.

In addition, under the law, damper payments will apply to middle distillates sold on the domestic market from July 2026 through June 2027.

FAS opens cases

Russia’s FAS, together with its regional offices, has opened 15 cases against several oil companies and independent petroleum market participants.

The agency has also issued 38 warnings to business entities over suspected violations of antitrust legislation, the FAS press service told reporters.

The service added that the antitrust regulator is also analyzing pricing practices among businesses in the small wholesale segment supplying fuel to independent gas stations and agricultural producers.

Fuel market situation

On July 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with government officials.

He said the country's fuel supply difficulties are temporary and that Russia's energy sector has a substantial safety margin.

Against this backdrop, the Russian authorities introduced a ban on gasoline and diesel exports.

Major oil companies have prioritized fuel deliveries to regions served by independent operators.

Fuel production in Russia has been partially reduced as a result of attacks on oil refineries, although the situation has been partly stabilized, Novak told the president.

On July 15, the deputy prime minister said the fuel task force had reviewed priority fuel deliveries for vehicles transporting food products for commercial retail chains.

He added that the domestic market is being adequately supplied with diesel fuel and that volumes will be sufficient to support harvesting operations.

Earlier, Novak told TASS that Russia has accumulated sufficient fuel supplies to meet domestic demand, but panic buying had driven demand up by approximately 20-30%.

He also noted that reconfiguring the logistics system to meet current needs would take some time.