He said that until 2022, the annual growth in fuel demand remained at about 5%, but the war significantly changed this dynamic: sales of gasoline and diesel fell by 16–17%, and sales of liquefied gas almost halved — by 46%. He cites the loss of control over part of the territories, the outflow of the population abroad, and the general decline in economic activity as the reasons for this decline.
In addition, Ukraine completely stopped purchasing fuel from Russia and Belarus. The main partners are now Romania, Poland, Germany, and Lithuania, and the number of supplier countries has increased from 24 to 47. Supplies from the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have even appeared on the market.
Changes also occurred in logistics: previously, 98% of fuel was delivered by rail, now sea routes and road transport are actively used. The number of fuel tankers has quadrupled — from 1.5 thousand to 6 thousand units.
The key step that helped overcome the fuel crisis of 2022 was the opening of the market — the abolition of state price regulation. This made it possible to quickly saturate the market with fuel and reduce trade margins. Today, there are 148 companies importing diesel fuel in the country, which indicates openness and significant competition in this segment.
