Government extends diesel, marine fuel and gasoil export ban to Sep 30

Putin arrived at Moscow State Pedagogical University at 12:48, viewed an exhibition of Russia's education system and was shown social-studies textbooks edited by Medvedev; he set the task of raising schoolchildren's interest in chemistry. The education minister said about 17.6 mn schoolchildren return to class on Sept 1.

The FSB public relations centre said eight naturalised citizens from Central Asia and the Transcaucasus lost Russian citizenship over crimes and threats to national security. They come from Stavropol Krai, Adygea, Tver Region (three), Chelyabinsk Region, and two from the Transcaucasus.

New vs Aug 28 (Lukashenko's talks with Mishustin): the leaders-level meeting took place. Putin said bilateral trade neared $52 bn last year and rose another 12.5% in H1, with $4.5 bn in Russian direct investment and 2,500 Russian-linked enterprises operating in Belarus. Microelectronics was named the key integration area.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree extending the ban on exports of diesel, marine fuel and gasoil by direct producers from Aug 31 to Sept 30, 2026 inclusive. The government said the decision was taken to maintain stability on the domestic fuel market. The general fuel export ban runs to Jan 31, 2027; jet fuel, to Nov 30.

Anatoly Aksakov told TASS ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum that a pause in rate cuts at the Sept 11 board meeting cannot be ruled out, though the long-term trend is downward. He called a drop to 13% or below by year-end possible but not the baseline scenario. The key rate currently stands at 14%.

Sberbank deputy board chairman Anatoly Popov told TASS that Finance Ministry data puts daily crypto transactions in Russia at around RUB 50 bn (~RUB 18 trn annually). SberCIB analysts conservatively estimate about 20% — RUB 3.5-4 trn ($46.43 bn) — will move onto exchanges in the first year after legalisation, rising to RUB 7.5 trn by 2029. The law takes effect Sept 1.

A State Duma deputy said the ruble's share in Russia's external settlements reached a record 60% in Q2 2026.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Aug 29: 'I see no grounds for hoping our relations with Europe will improve. Today's politicians are set on confrontation — not only in words but in deeds. They are fully mobilising Europe's military potential and turning it against our country.'

Kyrgyzstan's presidential press service said the SCO Council of Heads of State and an 'SCO Plus' meeting will be held on Sept 1 under President Sadyr Japarov's chairmanship. Leaders of 17 countries are expected, including Xi Jinping, Putin, Modi, Erdogan, Pezeshkian, Tokayev, Lukashenko, Pashinyan and Aliyev, along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The SCO 25th anniversary Bishkek Declaration will be signed.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine's ambassador in Ankara and said strikes on Turkish vessels in the Black Sea are unacceptable.

New vs earlier reporting (Nepal's tourism board said seven missing): Russia's embassy in China confirmed on the evening of Aug 29 that eight Russian citizens are missing in the China–Nepal border disaster zone. Chinese authorities opened an alternative evacuation route via the Zhangmu crossing; three Russians crossed with embassy assistance. Nepal's disaster agency put the death toll at 626.

The Russian government introduced a special gas supply regime for three border regions: suppliers may not unilaterally cut gas before debts are settled in full; supply may not be cut for two consecutive unpaid billing periods, nor fully disconnected for three or more payment delays in a year, nor restricted for two or more. Late-payment penalties are waived for residents, management companies and housing cooperatives.

The education ministry said about 17.6 mn schoolchildren return to class on Sept 1. The minister said the third school shift has been eliminated nationwide and growth of the second shift has halted.

Governor Yury Slyusar said 11 people were injured in total, nine hospitalised including four children, eight in moderate condition and one girl in serious condition after surgery. From 7:00 Moscow time an emergency regime was imposed in damaged zones of Aksay district; a local emergency regime was declared in Rostov-on-Don's Proletarsky district after two apartment blocks were damaged. Private homes were damaged in Bagayevsky district.

The region was struck repeatedly on Aug 29: five women were reported wounded in the evening, including two paramedics; another strike injured two teenagers and five adults; earlier reports cited two children and three adults, plus a teenager and a volunteer, and two men.

Russia's Defence Ministry said air defences intercepted and destroyed 313 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight over Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Rostov and Tula regions, the Moscow region, Krasnodar Krai, Crimea, Tatarstan and the Sea of Azov and Black Sea. Over 24 hours, 715 drones were destroyed, plus five guided bombs, two US-made HIMARS rockets and eight Flamingo long-range cruise missiles.

Rostov Region's natural resources ministry said a forest fire in Tsimlyansky district grew from 120 to 170 hectares. More than 100 emergency personnel and 45 vehicles are deployed; no settlements are threatened. Separately, 40 hectares of dry vegetation caught fire in central Crimea.

The regional Investigative Committee said that on the evening of Aug 28 an unknown person opened fire on a group of men in a forest in Moshkovsky district. One man died at the scene and two were hospitalised with gunshot wounds.

The North-West transport prosecutor's office said a passenger ship on the Uglich–Rybinsk–Tutayev–Yaroslavl route ran aground on the Volga. No one was injured and no oil spills were recorded; passengers were bused to their destination. From 19:00 Moscow time traffic was banned on the Transkam highway between Buron and the northern portal of the Roki tunnel until further notice.

New vs Aug 26-27 (the Kotovsk logistics centre was completely destroyed; the Investigative Committee opened a terrorism case): the Tambov regional government, on governor Yevgeny Pervyshov's instruction, has drawn up a 'Business Solidarity' package covering financial, legal, marketing and consulting support targeting liquidity, operating costs, visibility and legal security.

Analytical agency Autostat forecasts that hybrid vehicles could reach 10% of Russia's new-car market by the end of 2026, a record high for the country.

Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov said ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum that 105 solid mineral deposits have been discovered in the Far East this year. On the same day, Turkey eased its requirements for Russian wheat.

At the 2026 canoe sprint world championships in Poznan, Poland, Russia's men's four took silver in the 500 m canoe event. Russian judoka Vorobyova won gold at the 2026 Grand Slam in Switzerland, and the IJF announced Switzerland will host the 2028 World Judo Championships.

At a UFC event, Russian fighter Umar Nurmagomedov lost by knockout to China's Song Yadong.

New vs Aug 24 (fifth straight win): Krasnodar made it six consecutive Russian Premier League wins; Zenit beat Fakel while playing a man down; Lokomotiv lost to Dynamo, extending their winless run.

On Aug 29 the government extended the producer-level export ban on diesel, marine fuel and gasoil to Sep 30, 2026 inclusive; the restriction had been due to expire Aug 31. The stated reason is 'maintaining a stable situation on the domestic fuel market'. A general fuel export ban remains in force until Jan 31, 2027. For sellers this is a cost-side issue: diesel is the main fuel for trunk haulage and last-mile delivery, so the extension means domestic supply is prioritised and price pressure contained — but also that fuel tightness is not resolved. September inbound and peak-season logistics quotes remain exposed to fuel costs; leave headroom when costing fulfilment.

A published government decree extends the voluntary labelling experiment for semi-finished and frozen food products — due to end Aug 31, 2026 — by six months to Feb 28, 2027. The deadline for participants to finish trials and submit reports was also moved to Feb 20, 2027. The product list was widened to include frozen fish, young cheeses and curd, animal intestines and stomachs, ice cream, and mineral and sparkling waters. The decree takes effect on the day of official publication. Key point: this remains a voluntary pilot, not a mandatory requirement — but food is a high-frequency marketplace category, and each expansion of 'Honest Sign' coverage typically precedes a mandatory phase. Sellers in frozen foods, dairy and beverages should check whether their SKUs fall inside the pilot list and track the mandatory-transition timetable to avoid forced delisting.

Sber deputy board chairman Anatoly Popov told TASS ahead of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF, Vladivostok, Sep 1–4) that Sber plans to launch international settlements using digital currencies for business clients before the end of 2026, with payments executed directly inside the SberBiznes mobile app. He said the required infrastructure is already in place, the goal being 'to make cryptocurrency settlement not a difficult quest for business', and to embed the new payment method into companies' routine foreign-economic operations. In the same interview he said Sber intends to expand lending secured by digital assets, eventually accepting not only bitcoin but also Ethereum and the Tether stablecoin as collateral — but only after the Central Bank admits the relevant assets to public circulation and all provisions of the new regulation take effect. Caution: this is a stated plan, not a live service; currencies, limits and fees are undisclosed, and Ethereum/Tether collateral lending still needs regulatory clearance. Sellers handling China–Russia settlements should watch this, but not rework existing repatriation routes on the basis of it.

The Central Bank's official rates, set on Aug 28 and effective Aug 29: USD 85.6007 RUB, EUR 99.6820 RUB, CNY 12.7335 RUB. Aug 29 was a Saturday, so the CBR published no new set; the same set continues to apply through Aug 30, Aug 31 and Sep 1, which is why the figures are identical to the Aug 28 coverage day — this is normal weekend carry-over, not stale data. The baseline for converting rouble revenue into yuan for sellers is unchanged.