MOSCOW: Russia on Tuesday announced a six-month ban on gasoline exports from March 1 to compensate for rising demand from consumers and farmers and to allow for planned maintenance of refineries.

The ban, first reported by RBC, was confirmed by a spokeswoman for Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

Russia previously imposed a similar ban between September and November last year in order to tackle high domestic prices and shortages.

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Only four ex-Soviet states - Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan - were exempt.