Bloomberg: Sanctioned tankers help deliver Russian oil to plants in India
Tankers sanctioned by the US are involved in the supply of Russian oil to India, which calls into question the country's position on such supplies, Bloomberg reports, citing data from analytical companies Kpler and Vortexa.
Last week, about 1 million barrels of Sokol oil, produced in the Russian Far East, were delivered to an Indian refinery.
Half of the volume was transported via two ship-to-ship transfers, one of which was carried out by a tanker under US sanctions.
The data also indicates that other sanctioned vessels have already transshipped Sokol oil, which is due to be delivered to India next month.
In late March, the tanker Viktor Titov, which is under US sanctions, loaded 500,000 barrels of oil at a Russian terminal.
It then transferred the cargo to another vessel, which then transferred it to the tanker Cordelia Moon, which delivered the oil to the Indian refinery in Jamnagar in late May.
Both of the latter vessels are under sanctions by the UK, but not the US.
Other tankers under US sanctions also participated in the supply. Captain Kostichev loaded 699,000 barrels of Sokol oil from Sakhalin-1 in late April and then transshipped it to Monte-1, which is expected to unload in Jamnagar in early June.
India has become a major market for Russian oil since early 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Imports could reach a record 2.2 million barrels per day in May.
The Indian government has previously said it will not allow tankers under US sanctions to unload. However, Delhi only adheres to sanctions imposed by the UN, not those imposed by individual states or alliances.
- On March 25, it became known that Russian oil exports rose to a five-month high as US-initiated ceasefire talks in Ukraine dragged on.
- On April 22, it was reported that India increased oil imports from Russia in April to a two-year high.
- Russia increased its oil exports in April. Supplies increased by a quarter in the month.
