MOSCOW, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has instructed the Ministry of Energy to draft a government decree to ban gasoline exports starting April 1, 2026, a government statement said Friday.

Photo taken on June 2, 2017 shows a plant of the Udmurtia Petroleum Corp project in Udmurtia, a republic in western Russia. (Photo: Xinhua)

The ban would remain in place until July 31, TASS news agency reported.

Following a meeting on the domestic fuel market chaired by Novak, the government said in a statement that the measure aims to stabilize prices and ensure priority supply to the domestic market.

During the meeting, officials stressed the task set by Russian President Vladimir Putin to prevent domestic fuel price increases from exceeding projected levels.

"The Deputy Prime Minister noted that turbulence in the global oil and petroleum product market caused by the crisis in the Middle East is leading to significant price fluctuations," the statement read.

Novak added that strong demand for Russian energy resources in foreign markets remains a positive factor.