Lukoil's fuel terminal at Chisinau airport comes under state control

Lukoil's Moldovan subsidiary has handed over its fuel terminal at Chisinau airport to the Moldovan government for management, Energy Minister Dorin Iungetu said on Friday.

"The fuel terminal at the airport is a strategic asset for the state, so it is important that the supply of aviation kerosene is uninterrupted. Accordingly, on November 12, 2025, a loan agreement was concluded with Lukoil to transfer the airport's assets to management free of charge, and on November 13, the process of acceptance and transfer of property took place," the minister wrote on Facebook.

In an interview with NewsMaker, Moldovan expert Sergiu Tofilat explained that the jet fuel sector is the most vulnerable to sanctions against Lukoil, as the entire infrastructure for refueling aircraft – from warehouses to logistics – is concentrated in Lukoil-Moldova.

He believes the decision to voluntarily transfer assets to the state is logical, because after the sanctions Lukoil-Moldova will not be able to operate: banks will not make payments, and partners will risk being subject to secondary sanctions.

Junghietu clarified that this is a temporary step to ensure that the planes can be supplied with fuel without interruption if Lukoil loses the ability to operate due to US sanctions.

The next step will be the purchase of the airport infrastructure owned by Lukoil by the state enterprise Chisinau International Airport (AIC).

According to Tofilat, this will take up to a year.

"[We need] to ask the US authorities for a delay to conduct an audit, to conduct an assessment, to hold a tender and find a new buyer, to sell this property and transfer the money received in some way to Lukoil – again, with the consent of the US authorities. But it takes time: six months to a year, it's hard to say," he said.

The retail fuel market in Moldova will not suffer from sanctions against Lukoil, even if all its stations are closed.

"As for the filling stations owned by Lukoil, there are about 100 of them. At the same time, the fuel market in the Republic of Moldova is currently diversified, with a number of operators that have different logistics supply chains, both by land from Romania and through the port of Giurgiulesti. Accordingly, the market is well supplied with fuel, and stocks are stable," the minister added.

• The day before, it became known that The United States has extended the term of operations for the negotiation and conclusion of contracts for the sale of Lukoil International GmbH and related assets to Lukoil until December 13, 2025.
• Lukoil was subject to US sanctions in October 2025 due to the refusal of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to stop hostilities against Ukraine and start peace talks along the front line.