In September, Russia exported the lowest amount of fossil fuels since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to figures from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Russia exported €546 million ($637 million) per day, which is a 4% decline compared to August 2025 and 26% less than in September last year.
One of the factors of this lower amount of export of fossil fuels are the Ukrainian attacks on the Russian oil infrastructure. On Oct. 2 Zelensky said that “The most effective sanctions – the ones that work the fastest – are the fires at Russia’s oil refineries, its terminals, oil depots.” Russia took a significant hit when the Primorsk oil hub was struck on Sept. 12. Ukraine continues targeting Russia’s oil industry; on Oct. 15, a drone struck an oil refinery in Ufa.
Top buyers of Russian fossil fuels
China was the largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels at $6.4 billion in September, followed by India at $4.2 billion. Despite Trump’s requests to halt Russian oil purchases, India continues importing vast amounts, fueling Moscow’s war economy. In response, Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian exports in August, accusing India of sustaining Russia’s aggression through energy trade.
This week, Trump claimed that Indian Prime Minister Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil. However, India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated he was “not aware of any conversation.”.
NATO member Turkey imported $2.79 billion worth of Russian fossil fuels in September. EU countries Hungary and Slovakia imported crude oil and pipeline gas valued at $421 million and $222 million, respectively. LNG importers from Russia included France ($164 million), Belgium ($99 million), and the Netherlands ($67 million).
In September Trump asked NATO members to stop buying Russian oil. This week, the EU Committees on Industry, Research and Energy and on International Trade endorsed a draft proposal to ban pipeline and LNG imports from Russia starting in 2026 – accelerating the European Commission’s original timeline to end them by 2027. The draft legislation states that all imports of Russian oil, including petroleum products, are prohibited by Jan. 1, 2026.