From January to November 2025, Russia significantly increased its exports of liquefied hydrocarbons — propane and butane — to Central Asian countries and Afghanistan. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The export volume of these products doubled, exceeding 1 million tons. This was reported by the Reuters news agency.
According to the agency, after Brussels imposed sanctions against liquefied hydrocarbons, Russia redirected gas previously intended for the European market mainly to Central Asia and neighboring regions. This fuel is typically used for heating and in the petrochemical industry.
As a result, the volume of gas delivered to Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries accounted for 36 percent of Russia's total liquefied gas exports. Last year, this figure was 19 percent.
Afghanistan remains the leading largest buyer. The increase in gas imports from Russia is currently linked to a decrease in Iranian exports.
Iran is under U.S. sanctions, which have limited its market opportunities in the region. Additionally, by December 2025, Afghanistan imported oil and petroleum products worth $1.8 billion and natural gas worth $1.4 billion from abroad.
These figures once again confirm how important cooperation with Russia in the energy sector is for Afghanistan.
