Russian oil tankers idle off India coast - Bloomberg
Photo: Russian oil tankers stand by near India (Getty Images)
At least four tankers carrying Russian oil are currently waiting off the coast of India, unable to unload due to Indian refineries refusing to accept oil from Russia, Bloomberg reports.
According to vessel tracking data, the tankers Achilles and Elyte are currently anchored near the city of Jamnagar. At the end of June, both vessels loaded cargoes from the ports of Primorsk and Ust Luga, where Russia's flagship Urals crude oil is typically exported.
They were scheduled to unload on August 2 and 3. The Achilles and Elyte each carry around 700,000 barrels of oil. Both tankers are under EU and UK sanctions.
Two other tankers, Destan and Horae, are also idling off India's coast with cargoes of Urals crude. They were loaded between June 24 and July 1, according to tracking data.
Destan, which is sanctioned by the EU and UK, is expected to reach the port of Sikka in the coming days. Horae, whose destination remains unknown, is not currently under EU, UK, or US sanctions. The destinations of the tankers may still change.
India refuses from Russian oil
As Reuters previously reported, India's state-owned oil refineries temporarily suspended purchases of Russian crude last week. According to the media outlet, the decision comes from narrowing price discounts on Russian oil and statements from US President Donald Trump about possible sanctions.
While the largest Indian buyers of Russian oil remain the private firms Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy, the state-owned refineries control over 60% of the country's refining capacity.
Earlier, on July 30, US President Donald Trump announced that he would impose 25% tariffs on India starting August 1.
To find out more about whether Trump will punish India over Russian oil and how this will affect Ukraine, read our material on the topic.
