From July 28 to August 3, 2026, the government once again banned the export of gasoline and diesel with a strict decree until January 31, 2027, while customs from August 3 is transitioning inspection to electronic regulations with mandatory photo recording. In the Black Sea, following an attack on a tanker, CPC cut oil intake to 100,000 tons per day, and the container ship FESCO Yanina sank off Novorossiysk. The Eastern Operating Domain responded with a 7-minute train interval, an FGC open-top wagon service, and targeted discounts from Russian Railways.
New Fuel Ban and Photo Inspection
On July 30, Interfax reported a government announcement. From August 1, 2026, to January 31, 2027, a new temporary ban is in effect on the export of gasoline, diesel, marine fuel, and gas oils. In August, diesel is also banned for producers. Starting September 1, restrictions are lifted on diesel, marine fuel, and gas oils exported directly by producers. Gasoline remains banned for all market participants until January 31, 2027. Separately, the Cabinet approved a temporary procedure for fuel supplies to farmers until November 1.
On the same day, Logirus analyzed Ministry of Finance Order No. 152n, which establishes new customs inspection procedures effective August 3, 2026. Data exchange takes place via the EAIS TO and the participant's personal account. Photos and videos are attached to the inspection report as necessary. The decision on inspection must be made within 30 minutes, and the order must be issued no later than 50 minutes after notification. The fuel regulations are once again stricter than August market expectations, while customs inspection for FEA is going digital down to the minute.
CPC at 100K Tons and the Sunk Yanina
On July 30, at SPM-3 of the CPC terminal in Novorossiysk, the tanker Nissos Sifnos loading Tengizchevroil crude was attacked. According to PortNews, the fire was extinguished, there was no spill, and loading was suspended. This disrupted operations once again following their resumption on July 27. On July 31, CPC temporarily halted pipeline operations and continued receiving crude into storage tanks. Starting August 1, the intake volume is 100,000 tons per day. The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan stated via Interfax that a complete shutdown of the consortium is not under consideration and ramping up depends on tanker berthing.
On the night of August 1, approximately 130 miles off Novorossiysk, two naval drones attacked the container ship Yanina owned by FESCO Group. The vessel sank carrying commercial cargo ranging from frozen goods to construction materials. All 17 crew members were rescued. FESCO reported that the group continues standard operations and fulfills its commitments to clients. For the Black Sea container leg, this poses a new insurance and routing risk alongside an already volatile oil terminal.
Seven Minutes on the Eastern Operating Domain and FGC Open-Top Wagons
On July 31, head of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov confirmed at a meeting with the President that the headway between freight trains on the Eastern Operating Domain has been reduced to 7 minutes, and the carrying capacity of 180 million tons for 2026 remains on track. Non-coal export cargo (grain, fertilizers, containers) is growing while fulfilling agreements on Kuzbass coal. In June, container traffic grew by over 13%.
On July 30, FGC launched the Vostochny Most (Eastern Bridge) service. Containers from Primorye ports are transported in open-top wagons, transshipped to container flatcars in Novosibirsk, and moved onward to the Moscow Railway. In August, the operator plans to dispatch at least 500 containers. On July 31, Russian Railways announced a 12.8% discount on alumina from the Far East from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2029, in open-top wagons after unloading on the Far Eastern Railway, as well as a 50% discount on a number of ferrous metal shipments until June 30, 2027. The East is responding with schedule density and backhaul open-top wagon loading instead of vague capacity talks.
Crimean Bridge Halted for Hours Again
On July 31, the information center for approaches to the Crimean Bridge reported temporary closures of road traffic twice. On July 29, traffic had already been halted for more than three and a half hours. After reopening, queues at checkpoints reached about an hour on each side. Since January 2026, trucks with a curb weight exceeding 1.5 tons are prohibited from using the road section.
The week's takeaway for logisticians is clear without unnecessary words. At sea, oil and container flows near Novorossiysk are being restricted once again, on land the authorities are simultaneously tightening fuel rules and digitizing inspections, and the Eastern Operating Domain is ramping up density and open-top wagon haulage. It makes sense to factor in the September window for diesel producers, verify readiness for photo inspections from August 3, and avoid scheduling Black Sea shipments without a contingency plan for CPC and container insurance.