The most acute issue in recent months in our country has undoubtedly been the problems in the fuel market. Private car owners are familiar with them firsthand, but beyond personal inconvenience, this phenomenon also has quite obvious consequences for the consumer market. Domestic logistics is almost entirely dependent on road transport, and any fluctuations in fuel prices will almost inevitably affect the cost of transport services, and consequently either the profitability level of participants in the supply chain or the price dynamics for specific goods. The main types of fuel used in commercial transport are AI-92 gasoline and diesel fuel. According to the "Retail Audit of Gas Station Assortment Sales in Russia (total sell out)" from the analytical company RNC Pharma, a significant increase in fuel prices was recorded in the summer of 2026. From January to May, a liter of AI-92 cost an average of about RUB 62.4 across the country, with inflation not exceeding 9.3%. By July, the price had risen to RUB 69.6/l, and the inflation rate compared to July 2025 was recorded at a record 22.3%. Price fluctuations for diesel are somewhat less pronounced, but its initial cost is also higher.

The situation with the profitability of the wholesale segment of the Russian pharmaceutical market over the past few years has been such that many pharmaceutical distributors simply have no additional resources to index the arising costs. Of course, we cannot claim that the fuel crisis will trigger a wave of bankruptcies among wholesale companies, but the future of many pharmaceutical distributors will depend, among other things, on how long the current situation lasts, and it must be borne in mind that a major overhaul of a refinery takes from six months or more. In addition, the fuel factor indirectly affects not only the growth of transport overhead costs, but also the entire range of relationships in the supply chain, including the need to increase warehouse inventory volumes, as well as their insurance against additional risks — strikes on a pharmaceutical company's warehouse in the Moscow region have already occurred.

Among the positive news in the industry, the completion of the deal as a result of which Eapteka was finally integrated into the RWB group can be highlighted. The role of R-Pharm, which entered the capital of one of the largest players in pharmaceutical e‑commerce in 2020–2021, is generally clear; even then, many perceived it as a portfolio investment, so now is simply the time to take profit. And for the industry, the fact that the largest Russian marketplace is consistently developing competencies in the sale of health products is in itself a very important signal. However, given the serious losses currently being incurred by the leaders of Russian online trading as a result of attacks from Ukraine, significant changes may also occur here. We will return to this topic in more detail with the results of Q1–Q2 2026 as part of the "Ranking of Russian Pharmacy Chains."

Table. TOP-25 Pharmaceutical Distributors by Market Share of Direct Drug Supplies (including the public segment of the pharmaceutical market), in monetary terms, in Q1–Q2 2026