Russia seems to be having little difficulty skirting US Treasury sanctions when it comes to its oil industry, with the country managing to send shipments of sanctioned oil aboard sanctioned tankers to India.
The U.S. Treasury’s January crackdown on Russian crude exports doesn’t appear to be a problem for Moscow, with at least five tankers carrying Arctic and Pacific oil seemingly bound for India—despite falling outside the official exemptions.
India had previously stated that it would accept oil from sanctioned ships only if loaded before January 10—the day designated by the US Treasury—and delivered before February 27. Yet, all five shipments left after the stated cutoff. The move will put both Russia and India to the test and under the watchful eyes of the global community that is trying to force Russia’s hand in Ukraine.
Despite the latest round of sanctions by the US Treasury, Russia has managed to keep its four-week rolling average oil shipments fairly steady over the seven-day period to January 26, Bloomberg said on Tuesday.
These cargoes are not insignificant. Russia’s seaborne crude shipments averaged 2.96 million barrels per day in the last four weeks, with a notable rebound in Pacific and Arctic crude flows. While Baltic port shipments faltered, Arctic port Murmansk saw three sanctioned tankers load crude bound for the Suez Canal and, ultimately, Indian ports.
Meanwhile, Pacific shipments, including Russia’s prized Sokol crude, also seem to be heading toward South Asia. Clever logistical tricks like transferring oil between sanctioned and unsanctioned vessels near South Korea complicate enforcement.
Analysts have warned that a failure on Russia’s part to maneuver around international sanctions has the potential to disrupt global oil markets and undercut Russia’s economic lifeline—with only the latter being the goal. Yet India’s role in this drama is also critical, with the country having to weigh its energy security needs against the mounting international pressure.
![](https://en.energytoday.ir/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/russia-oil-2-660x330.jpeg)
FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: An employee of Sakhalin Energy stands at the Sakhalin-2 project's liquefaction gas plant in Prigorodnoye, about 70 km (44 miles) south of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, October 13, 2006. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo/File Photo