Reuters reported that Afghanistan and Central Asia have increased their rail fuel imports from Russia and Belarus.
Citing traders, the report said fuel imports by Afghanistan and Central Asian countries from the two countries rose by 50% in the first three months of 2026.
Traders said supplies to these countries increased to 3.347 million metric tons during January, February, and March.
Afghanistan and its Central Asian neighbors have become a key market for Russian fuel exports since the European Union imposed sanctions on Russian petroleum products in February 2023.
Afghanistan’s imports from Russia and Belarus in the first three months of this year increased fourfold compared to the same period in 2025, reaching 530,000 tons. Of this amount, 231,000 tons were gasoline.
