Ukraine’s drones continue to strike Russian oil refineries, causing a significant decrease in Russia’s aviation fuel production. As Moscow attempts to intensify airstrikes on Ukrainian territory while maintaining the scale of its civil aviation transport, the shortage of aviation fuel is growing increasingly severe.
According to reports from Ukraine’s National News website on Saturday, August 29th, the Kremlin had to temporarily ban the export of aviation fuel from its own country and has recently urgently imported a large amount of aviation fuel from foreign sources.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate, in order to alleviate the recent shortage of military and civil aviation fuel, Russia has recently urgently imported approximately 70,000 tons of Jet A-1 aviation fuel from South Korea and Egypt.
This fuel is being transported by sea to the westernmost Saint Petersburg and the easternmost Vladivostok.
Ukraine’s intelligence department pointed out that the operation of this transportation involves Russia’s “shadow fleet” tankers, foreign captains, and enterprises related to Russia’s defense needs.
The ship, the ASTORIA, transported nearly 11,000 tons of aviation fuel to Vladivostok from the port of Ulsan, South Korea in early August this year.
The ship was commanded by Russian citizen Captain Andrei Petrovich Mikhailovskiy, and the related goods were ordered by the Russian “Independent Oil and Gas Company” that is sanctioned by Ukraine.
Additionally, the ship HANNA commanded by Indian citizen Captain Gagan, and the ship DUGONG commanded by Indonesian citizen Captain Refly Johnny Sumual, transported nearly 59,000 tons of aviation fuel from the port of El Dekheila in Egypt to the pier of the JSC Petersburg Oil Terminal in August 2026.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate stated that Jet A-1 aviation fuel can serve as a substitute for Russia’s aviation fuel TS-1 and RT, suitable for a variety of Russian military aircraft including MiG-29, Su-30SM, Su-35S, Su-57, Su-24M, Su-34, and Tu-95MS.
Furthermore, this fuel can also be used for the Geran-4 and Geran-5 jet-powered attack drones, as well as the Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft.
The Ukrainian intelligence department stated that the related supply chain also involves companies from the United Arab Emirates, Egyptian oil and petroleum companies, and Russian enterprises, some of which are subject to international sanctions.
Ukraine believes that Russia, as a major oil-producing country, being forced to ban exports and import a large amount of aviation fuel from overseas, reflects the significant achievements of Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil facilities and the increasing dependence of the Russian aviation industry on foreign fuel supply.