Due to Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries, Russia is forced to refuel its military aircraft with imported fuel, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR)
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Systematic and precise strikes by the Ukrainian Defense Forces on Russia’s oil refining network have led to a significant reduction in jet fuel production in Russia. In an effort to maintain a high intensity of air strikes and civilian transportation, the Kremlin has faced a shortage of domestic resources.
This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
To compensate for the shortage, Russia has officially imposed a temporary ban on the export of its own jet fuel and has begun importing foreign Jet A-1 jet fuel. This fuel is a compatible substitute for the Soviet-Russian TS-1 and RT grades.
Which aircraft are fueled with foreign jet fuel?
According to military intelligence, Jet A-1 fuel is suitable for use by the aggressor country’s entire combat aircraft fleet:
- Fighters and bombers: MiG-29, Su-34, Su-35S, Su-30SM, Su-57, Su-24M, and Tu-95MS strategic bombers.
- Military transport aircraft: The use of Jet A-1 in Il-76MD-90A aircraft equipped with PS-90A-76 engines—which the Russian Ministry of Defense uses to transport weapons, including long-range missile systems—has been documented.
- Jet-powered UAVs: The fuel is used to refuel the “Geran-4” and “Geran-5” strike UAVs, which are equipped with turbojet engines.
Logistics and the Use of the “Shadow Fleet”
Military intelligence has determined that the Russians have already delivered 70,000 metric tons of Jet A-1 fuel from South Korea and Egypt to the ports of St. Petersburg and Vladivostok, using three tankers from the “shadow fleet”:
Route from South Korea: In early August 2026, the sanctioned Russian vessel ASTORIA, under the command of Captain Andriy Mikhailovsky, delivered nearly 11,000 metric tons of fuel from the South Korean port of Ulsan to Vladivostok. The customer was Independent Oil and Gas Company JSC, which, through TZK-AERO LLC, supplies fuel to the Russian Armed Forces and the FSB under government contracts.
Route from Egypt: In August, the tankers HANNA (Panamanian-flagged) and CAPIBARA (Indonesian-flagged) delivered a total of approximately 59,000 metric tons of fuel from the Egyptian port of El-Deheila to a terminal in St. Petersburg. The scheme involved the Egyptian MIDOR refinery, the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), the UAE-based company Vernal Overseas FZE, as well as the Russian companies “KONTUR SPB” LLC and “YUMF Agent” LLC, which operate under the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Author
Oksana Korolenko news feed editor
All materialsShe studied at the School of Journalism at Zaporizhzhia National University (ZNU). She has been working in journalism since 2015. She has worked for the publications "Delovaya Odessa," "Slovo i Dilo," and "Vidomo."