Belarusian Diesel Shipments to Russia Rise 21% in October to More Than 131,000 Tonnes
Key Facts
Diesel shipments by rail from Belarusian refineries to Russian consumers rose 21% in October from September, exceeding 131,000 tonnes, Reuters reported, citing sources, according to The Moscow Times. The sources attributed the increase in supplies to Russia to a sharp drop in transit shipments intended for re-export to third countries. This puts the rise in the context of redirected trade flows, rather than as independent evidence of growth in Belarusian production. The figures come as markets track Russian and Belarusian diesel flows alongside disruptions affecting Russian refineries. Russia set a November diesel export target of about 2.15 million tonnes, according to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. Novak said renewed attacks on refineries “could lead to a decline in supply volumes.”
Russian shipping data show a parallel picture of export activity at the start of November. Russian diesel and gasoil shipments reached 410,000 tonnes in the week ended 5 November, up from 358,000 tonnes the previous week, according to CAS data cited by S&P Global. Recorded shipments from the start of November through 9 November totaled 349,000 tonnes, compared with 985,000 tonnes for all of October. S&P Global said the pace of shipments in November suggests they could exceed the previous month's level, but the month-to-date figure covers only part of the month. The figures show that Russian export flows remained active in the latest week observed, even as risks to refinery supplies persist. These figures do not measure the volume of Russian imports of Belarusian diesel; each series concerns a different type of trade flow.
The United States was the largest destination for Russian diesel and gasoil shipments in the week ended 5 November, with 141,000 tonnes loaded for the country, compared with 36,000 tonnes the previous week, S&P Global said. As of 9 November, the company tracked five medium-range tankers carrying Russian gasoil toward the U.S. Atlantic coast. None of the tankers had reached U.S. shores by that date. The vessels had loaded a total of 176,000 tonnes of gasoil at Russian Baltic ports between 23 October and 5 November. S&P Global noted that shipment destinations may change before arrival, leaving the tankers’ routes subject to change.
September data offer separate context on Belarusian fuel flows to Russia: rail shipments of diesel fell 29% month on month to 105,000 tonnes ahead of scheduled refinery maintenance, Reuters reported, as cited by Arab News. Those figures do not represent October levels, when shipments rose 21% to more than 131,000 tonnes. Reuters reported that Belarus supplies Russia with fuel from two refineries that process Russian oil and have combined capacity of 24 million tonnes a year. On refinery damage, the International Energy Agency said repairs to complex secondary units that have been severely damaged take an average of 6 to 8 months. It added that the Moscow refinery, with capacity of 250,000 barrels a day, was badly damaged in a Ukrainian attack in June 2026 and was expected to remain shut until early 2027.
Ukraine had resumed attacks on Russian refineries after a two-week pause from 16 to 29 October, and six refineries were hit by Ukrainian drones during the first eight days after the attacks resumed, S&P Global reported, citing Russian media outlet Astra. Novak links the renewed attacks to the possibility of lower supply volumes, while Russia maintains its stated November export target of about 2.15 million tonnes. Belarusian shipments to Russian consumers, which exceeded 131,000 tonnes in October, indicate a shift in supply routes that month, with sources attributing the increase to a decline in transit shipments to third countries. The five tankers bound for the U.S. Atlantic coast had not arrived as of 9 November, and their destinations may change. Shipment movements and weekly export data remain among the near-term indicators the market is monitoring during November.