Russia considering moratorium on diesel fuel payment reset

Russia is considering a moratorium on resetting diesel fuel compensation payments to zero, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters at Russian Energy Week on October 14.

Novak said the proposal had been raised at the fuel taskforce meeting the previous day. Federal authorities, including the Energy Ministry, would now discuss it.

The initiative concerns preserving compensation to oil companies in circumstances that could otherwise trigger a zero payment. It does not mean abolishing the compensation mechanism itself.

Interfax noted that the mechanism has operated since 2019 to help restrain domestic fuel prices when export conditions are more attractive. A previous moratorium ran from October 2025 to May 1, 2026.

Novak did not announce adoption of the new proposal. His reported comments gave neither a possible duration nor a start date.