India Continues Importing Russian Oil Despite U.S. Sanctions

New Delhi: Despite sanctions imposed by Western countries, India continues to import Russian crude oil. However, Russian companies have changed the methods of delivery, and some Indian firms have stopped purchasing Russian oil altogether.

Alternate Routes for Supply
Following the U.S. sanctions, which targeted Russian oil companies, Russia found alternative routes to maintain exports to India. Much of the crude oil arriving in India now comes from smaller traders who previously rarely supplied the country. This shift was primarily due to a significant reduction in volumes from Russia’s major oil company, Rosneft. According to shipping data provider Kpler, nearly 43% of Russian oil imports to India in the first half of January 2026 (about 0.5 million barrels per day) came from five such smaller traders.

Ships and Traders Involved
The vessels transporting oil to India include Redwood Global Supply, Vistula Delta, Ethos Energy, Alghaf Marine, and Slavyansk ECO. These traders had not sent any oil to India for nearly two years before December 2025. Among them, RusExport and Slavyansk ECO are Russian firms, while Redwood Global Supply, Alghaf Marine, and Vistula Delta are linked to the UAE.

Impact of Sanctions on Major Suppliers
Despite U.S. sanctions, Rosneft remained India’s second-largest Russian oil supplier in the first 15 days of January. However, shipments from Rosneft fell 75% compared to the 2025 average, reaching around 225,000 barrels per day (bpd), down from an average of 912,000 bpd in 2025. Rosneft’s share in India’s total Russian oil imports has dropped to 19%.

Lukoil, another sanctioned Russian company, also saw a sharp decline, delivering just 43,000 bpd in the first half of January—84% below its 2025 daily average—reducing its share from 16% to under 4%.

New Leading Supplier
With these changes, RusExport has emerged as the largest supplier of Russian crude to India in January. During the first 15 days, it supplied about 255,000 bpd, roughly a fifth of India’s total Russian imports. Other new suppliers delivered:

• Redwood Global Supply: 200,000 bpd
• Vistula Delta: 145,000 bpd
• Ethos Energy: 74,000 bpd
• Alghaf Marine: 50,000 bpd
• Slavyansk ECO: 43,000 bpd

Shipping data shows that none of these traders had sent any oil to India between January 2024 and November 2025.

Indian Buyers’ Caution
Indian oil buyers have become cautious about sourcing oil from sanctioned companies. For example, Reliance Industries, India’s largest Russian oil importer, purchased no Russian oil in the first half of January. HPCL, HMEL, and MRPL also stopped imports from Russia. Meanwhile, Indian Oil, Nayara Energy (supported by Rosneft), and BPCL continue to buy Russian crude.