Belarus has announced its readiness to assist Russia with oil refining.
Alexander Lukashenko confirmed that Belarusian oil refineries are prepared to support the Russian market by compensating for the shutdown of several plants due to drone attacks. As stated by the self-proclaimed president, two modernized Belarusian refineries can meet the needs of Russian regions in a critical time.
Drone attacks, ongoing since the beginning of the year, targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure, have significantly slowed down the operations of many of its oil refineries. Affected facilities include refineries in cities such as Volgograd, Moscow, and Yaroslavl. This has led Belarus to implement measures to support the Russian market.
The Mozyr and Novopolotsk refineries in Belarus, with a combined capacity to process up to 24 million tons of oil per year, have already increased supply volumes to the Russian market, significantly exceeding last year’s figures for the same period. Since the beginning of 2026, gasoline deliveries have increased almost tenfold, and diesel fuel shipments have tripled.
These circumstances arise against the backdrop of the impact of Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure. As stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the strikes have significantly reduced Russian oil production. Russia’s loss of oil capacities accounts for about 10%, with financial losses reaching 7 billion dollars since the beginning of the year.
| Period | Gasoline supply (in tons) | Diesel supply (in tons) |
| January–April 2025 | 21,400 | 43,000 |
| January–April 2026 | 214,000 | 129,000 |
