Boris Kamchev

BORIS@LUBESNGREASES.COM

Staff Writer - Boris is a staff writer focused on Eastern Europe, Russia and the ex-Soviet lubricant industry. Prior to joining Lubes’n’Greases in 2010, Boris was a Russia-based reporter for several Macedonian news outlets. He had a 16-month stint as a business reporter for The St. Petersburg Times and contributed analyses to an English-language outlet of RIA Novosti, a Russian state news agency. Boris often travels to St. Petersburg, Washington, D.C. and Skopje. Recently, he has also begun a part-time engagement as a foreign correspondent for North Macedonia’s state news agency, MIA.

Recent Articles

Russian Market Remains Crucial to Fuchs

Russian Market Remains Crucial to Fuchs

In case anyone interpreted June comments by Fuchs Petrolub SE as indication that it was drawing down its operations in R …

Western Lubricant Additive Makers Exit Russia

Western Lubricant Additive Makers Exit Russia

The Big Four additive suppliers have reportedly exited the Russian market. How might this exodus affect finished lubrica …

Russian Lube Production Close to 2020 Level

Russian Lube Production Close to 2020 Level

Russia produced around 600,000 metric tons of finished lubricants in 2021, a slight increase from the previous year, acc …

California Bans New ICE Vehicle Sales by 2035

California Bans New ICE Vehicle Sales by 2035

Legislators in California have agreed to a ban on sales of internal combustion engines by 2035, a move that State Govern …

Tatneft: Doing Fine Despite Sanctions

Tatneft: Doing Fine Despite Sanctions

Western oil companies and lubricant additive suppliers may have pulled back from Russia, but officials with at least one …

Extra Juice for the North American EVs

Extra Juice for the North American EVs

Juice Americas Inc announced it will start selling its revamped two-in-one electric vehicle charger, J+ Booster 2, the …

Lotos Lube Sales Rose, Base Oils Fell

Lotos Lube Sales Rose, Base Oils Fell

The former Lotos Oil sold 92,927 metric tons of finished lubricants last year, up from the 77,243 tons sold in 2020, by …

Netherlands and Germany Home to Half of EU’s EV Charge Points

Netherlands and Germany Home to Half of EU’s EV Charge Points

Half the electric vehicle charge points in the European Union are in two countries that occupy only 10% of the bloc’s ar …

Azeri Lubes Aid Europe

Azeri Lubes Aid Europe

Azerbaijani lubricant marketers are grabbing the opportunity to fill the export void left by Russia’s invasion of Ukra …

Big Additive Suppliers Halt Sales in Russia

Big Additive Suppliers Halt Sales in Russia

The world’s main suppliers of lubricant additive packages have stopped supplying Russia, two industry consultants told …

Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz Invest Billions in EVs

Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz Invest Billions in EVs

Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz, two of the world’s largest automotive companies, recently announced billions in investme …

Cupper Builds Blending Plant

Cupper Builds Blending Plant

Russian independent lubricant maker Cupper plans to build a lubricant blending plant in Dzershinsk, in Russia’s Nizhny …

Russian Car Sales Forecast to Slump

Russian Car Sales Forecast to Slump

Sales of new passenger cars in Russia are expected to plummet to about 454,000 vehicles in 2022, a 67% decline from the …

Gazprom Containers Degrade Faster

Gazprom Containers Degrade Faster

Russian oil major Gazprom Neft claims to have developed a technology for making biodegradable motor oil cartons that bre …

Fuchs Buys Stake in Battery Electrolyte Startup

Fuchs Buys Stake in Battery Electrolyte Startup

German independent lubricant maker Fuchs Petrolub bought a 28% stake in E-Lyte Innovations GmbH, a start-up that develo …

Taneco Adds Group III Grade

Taneco Adds Group III Grade

Tatneft recently started the process of streaming 6 centiStoke API Group III base oil at its Taneco refinery after it fi …

Some Suppliers Exit Russia, Others Don’t

Some Suppliers Exit Russia, Others Don’t

Several foreign lubricant brands – including BP’s Castrol – are disappearing from the Russian market, but others a …

Lukoil Replaces Shell with Teboil

Lukoil Replaces Shell with Teboil

The Torzhok, Russia, lubricant factory that Lukoil bought recently from Shell will produce products to be marketed under …