US-Sanctioned Tankers Involved in Record Russian Oil Deliveries to India
Despite India's stated opposition to using US-sanctioned vessels, a complex web of maritime transfers has enabled sanctioned tankers to transport Russian oil to Indian refineries, just as India’s imports of Russian crude are set to reach a record high.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Bloomberg.
According to data from Kpler and Vortexa, at least one million barrels of Sokol crude from Russia’s Far East were delivered to India last week. Half of that shipment was moved through two ship-to-ship transfers – one involving the “Viktor Titov,” a US-sanctioned Aframax tanker. The cargo changed hands again on the “Night Glory” and finally reached India aboard the “Cordelia Moon,” both of which are sanctioned by the UK but not by the US.
These ship-to-ship transfers are part of an increasingly opaque logistics chain that allows Russian crude to bypass Western restrictions. The “Viktor Titov” was blacklisted by the US Treasury in January as part of broader sanctions against Russia’s oil trade, yet managed to deliver crude to India through intermediaries.
India, now the top buyer of Russian seaborne oil since Western sanctions began in 2022, has consistently claimed it adheres only to UN sanctions, not those imposed by individual countries. Yet the presence of US-sanctioned vessels in its supply chain raises fresh questions about the enforcement of this policy. Neither India’s oil ministry nor Reliance Industries, owner of the Jamnagar refinery that received the cargo, responded to Bloomberg's inquiries.
Other sanctioned tankers, including the “Captain Kostichev” and “Victor Konetsky,” have similarly been linked to deliveries destined for Indian ports. These vessels employed ship-to-ship transfers to avoid direct arrival in Indian waters, a method that experts describe as exploiting “gray zones” in global trade compliance.
India’s Russian oil imports are expected to reach an all-time high of 2.196 million barrels per day this month, fueled by newly deployed tankers and relaxed enforcement. While US-led sanctions have sought to limit Moscow’s revenue without causing global price shocks, the emergence of indirect supply chains shows how traders and shippers are adapting.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has urged the European Union to significantly tighten sanctions on Russia by lowering the oil price cap to $30 per barrel and targeting Moscow’s banking system.