A Putin decree bans the spread of data on refinery output and fuel exports, aiming to make sanctions harder to track as Ukrainian strikes intensify.
On 28 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree restricting access to data on Russia's oil refineries and energy exports. The move comes as Ukraine's long-range campaign against Russian oil infrastructure intensifies.
Volunteers Support Ukraine highlights the decision because it bears directly on how transparent the trade that funds the war remains.
The restrictions cover the volume of oil processed and products made by each individual refinery, the product slate, export quantities and prices. Also included are supply chains — sellers, buyers and intermediaries — along with transport routes, terminals, storage sites, vehicles and delivery dates. Sharing such information through the media or online is prohibited unless the company itself has disclosed it. The government has 10 days to decide which specific products fall under the restrictions.
According to Reuters, the decree is meant to make Western sanctions harder to enforce. Less open data means governments and researchers will find it harder to track Russian energy flows and spot sanctions evasion. Russia has limited access to some energy data since 2014; the new measure expands that considerably.
Ukraine's General Staff said on 21 September that repeated strikes had knocked out 45% of Russia's oil refining capacity. Putin's decree looks like an attempt to hide the scale of those effects and the routes fuel takes to foreign markets.
NGO Volunteers Support Ukraine keeps helping people affected by the war with the resources available, and works to make sure our readers get verified information.
