In Wake of Ukraine's Attacks on Refineries, India Emerges as Key Supplier of Petrol to Russia

New Delhi: Ship tracking data has revealed that India has emerged as a key supplier of gasoline (petrol) to Russia in the aftermath of Ukrainian drone attacks on the country’s refineries, which have led to an increase in Russian fuel imports, reported Press Trust of India.

According to energy analytics firm Vortexa, Russia's seaborne gasoline imports increased to a whopping 125,000 barrels per day (kbd) in August, equivalent to a projected 470,000 tonnes for the month. The surge in gasoline imports comes at a time when Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian refineries, disrupting domestic fuel production.

Of the total imports by Russia, Indian refiners have supplied around 1 million barrels of gasoline in the last two months, reported PTI, citing trade sources. The supplies essentially came from Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, which is operated by Nayara Energy, which is half owned by Russia's Rosneft.

Earlier, Ukrainian drone attacks on its energy infrastructure has resulted in 70% drop in domestic production in Russia, leading to a fuel supply crunch wherein it had to import petroleum products while continuing to impose restrictions on fuel sales across the country.

Along with India, Turkey and Morocco were also major supppliers of gasoline to Russia in August, the PTI report added.

Notably, crude oil also accounts for 83% of India’s total Russian fossil fuel imports, which had earlier seen a surge in wake of the West Asia crisis. Crude oil imports from Russia amounted to €4.8 billion ($5.55 billion) in May alone.

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