Against backdrop of Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries, Putin has banned publication of data on Russian oil industry
On Monday, 28 September, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a decree restricting access to information "in the fuel and energy sector".
The Moscow Times reports this, as informed by Censor.NET.
What exactly has been banned?
According to a document published on the legal information portal, the dissemination of information regarding the operations of Russian oil refineries, which have been targeted by Ukrainian UAVs and have lost a third of their refining capacity this year, will be prohibited.
From now on, ‘information on the volumes of processing and production of goods by a legal entity – a Russian oil refinery’, in accordance with the decree, is included in a list to which access is ‘restricted’.
A ban is also being introduced on the disclosure of information regarding the names and quantities of energy products being exported, sellers, buyers and intermediaries, mutual settlements, times and dates of deliveries, means of transport used for carriage, routes, terminals and warehouses, including their geographical coordinates. Furthermore, aggregated customs statistics and information on planned sales volumes of products from the fuel and energy sector are classified as ‘confidential’.
A total information blackout
According to the text of the decree, the ban on publishing such data applies not only to state bodies (in particular Rosstat, which publishes official statistics), but also to the media and any internet users. The only exception is made for official statements issued by the manufacturing companies or exporters themselves.
The Russian government is to draw up a specific list of goods to which the restrictions will apply within 10 days.
The decree states that these measures are being introduced "in view of the need to take urgent action in response to the unfriendly actions of the US, which contravene international law, and of foreign states that have joined them, as well as international organisations".
Strikes by the Defence Forces on Russian oil refineries
- Successful strikes by the Ukrainian Defence Forces on the aggressor country’s oil infrastructure have caused a widespread shortage of fuel across most of Russia. Fuel is being sold to Russians subject to restrictions.
- It was previously reported that, against the backdrop of a shortage of fuel, the Russian government extended restrictions on petrol exports from the country until the end of 2026.
