Russia’s Fuel Prices: Moderate Rise Across the Week and Seasonal Factors

In Russia, retail gasoline costs edged higher after a brief retreat, confirming a renewed upward trend through the latest Rosstat figures. The ministry reported that a liter of AI-92 climbed to 50.15 rubles during December 12 to 18, marking the first dip in prices since late September after a six month stretch of gains. That shift suggests a carefully balanced market where seasonal demand, supply dynamics, and policy actions all interact. Over the week, overall fuel prices rose by a small margin, with gasoline up by 0.05 percent and diesel by 0.1 percent. Since the start of the year, gasoline has grown about 7 percent, while diesel has advanced close to 10 percent. Against this backdrop, the broad inflation rate in the Russian Federation stands at 7.12 percent, framing fuel costs as a meaningful but not dominant component of household expenses. The national average price for a liter of gasoline on December 18 was 54.52 rubles, while diesel registered at 64.37 rubles per liter on the same date, reflecting regional variations and operational costs that influence pump prices nationwide.