Gasoline shortages began in Belarus
Several regional gas stations of the Russian Lukoil in Belarus have introduced limits on the purchase of fuel.
This was reported by the opposition Belarusian news agency TUT.BY, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
A limit has been introduced on the purchase of diesel up to 100 liters per person. The limit applies to all vehicles - both cars and trucks. At the gas station they explain this by a lack of fuel.
According to unconfirmed information, Belarusian gas station networks owned by Russian oil companies are being denied supplies of petroleum products from refineries in Mozyr and Novopolotsk.
The Belneftekhim concern denied information about the shortage, saying that Belarusian refineries fully supply the domestic market with fuel.
“The products are even exported. Saying that we have a shortage is more of a provocation with the aim of sowing rush demand and causing panic than any attempt to take care of consumers,” the concern’s press service noted.
In January, the head of Lukoil, Vagit Alekperov, said that he does not plan to in any way compensate for Belarus’ losses due to a tax maneuver in the oil industry and to resume oil supplies to the country’s refineries on preferential terms. He also said that Lukoil has already redirected to other directions the volumes of oil previously supplied to Belarus after it refused to purchase Russian oil.
In January, oil was supplied to Belarus only by the companies of Alexander Lukashenko’s business partner, Russian oligarch Mikhail Gutseriev. They supplied 750 thousand tons of hydrocarbons, which was enough to partially load two refineries. This volume is expected to be processed by the end of the week.
Alexander Lukashenko stated that now Belarus will consume only 30-40% of previous volumes of Russian oil. However, as an alternative, it has so far been possible to purchase 80 thousand tons of oil from Norway. It cost $130 more per ton.
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