Russians have started massively searching for additives to improve gasoline quality. Prices...

Russians have started massively searching for additives to improve gasoline quality. Prices for them on marketplaces are rising sharply

The number of search queries about gasoline additives in Russia has broken all-time records in Yandex and Google, Verstka noted. Interest in additives has surged sharply against the backdrop of the fuel crisis.

As recently as May and early June, the level of interest in gasoline additives was rated zero by Google; in mid-July it exceeded an index of 73, and now it is approaching the maximum value of 100.

The number of searches for the phrase “gasoline additive” in Yandex reached 36,000 in June, increasing more than fivefold compared with May. The previous record for the number of searches was in October 2025 (11,400). The more general query “additive” was searched by Russians more than 310,000 times in June; compared with May 2026, that was an increase of 58%.

On marketplaces, additives are sold at prices ranging from several hundred to several thousand rubles, and the cost of some items, as Verstka noted, is rising every day. For example, the price of one of the most popular gasoline additives rose by 10% on Ozon in two days — from 3,876 to 4,267 rubles. Another additive frequently bought on Ozon has gone up 14.5% since June 30 — from 543 to 622 rubles.

As their manufacturers and sellers promise, additives can reduce fuel consumption and improve fuel quality by raising the octane rating. In reviews, Russians say they are buying additives because of the fuel shortage at gas stations and its low quality.

“I hope it helps in these hard times. 100-octane now is like 95. I hope with this additive I can get something close to 100-octane gasoline,” one user writes.

🩵Against the backdrop of the fuel crisis, the Russian government plans to allow the sale of lower-standard gasoline in Russia, Kommersant reported after its journalists reviewed the relevant decree. Euro-2 gasoline may reappear at gas stations; its sale has been banned in Russia since 2013. This fuel is believed to accelerate wear in modern cars whose engines are designed for a higher gasoline standard.

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