Russia has imported a seaborne cargo of about 30,000 tonnes of AI-92 gasoline from Morocco, two industry sources told Reuters on Friday.
Moscow has introduced a range of measures to support the domestic fuel market after repeated Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries triggered shortages and price spikes. These include rail imports of gasoline from Belarus and Kazakhstan and a ban on fuel exports.
According to the sources, a Panama-flagged tanker loaded the cargo at Morocco's port of Tangier in mid-July and is now discharging it at Russia's Arctic port of Murmansk.
Lukoil acted as the supplier, the sources added.
Data from the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange (SPIMEX) show AI-92 gasoline is being offered for rail delivery from Kola station, which serves the Murmansk port.
Lukoil did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in mid-July that Russia would begin importing oil products to help stabilise the domestic market amid fuel shortages caused by refinery outages and rising demand.
Reuters previously reported, citing sources, that Russia had also started importing gasoline from India by sea.
By early July, Russia's gasoline production had fallen to about 65 per cent of average summer consumption because of outages at major refineries following drone attacks, which have intensified in recent months.
The drop in output prompted authorities to restrict gasoline sales in several Russian regions.
(Reporting by Reuters in Moscow. Editing by Mark Potter)
