Last tanker carrying Russian diesel toward US slows down after two others change course
The last of three tankers initially headed for the United States with Russian diesel has sharply reduced its speed and missed its expected arrival date in New York, as questions mount over a fuel deal announced by US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The Malta-flagged Agioi Fanendes, carrying approximately 40,000 metric tons of Russian diesel, was still traveling west across the North Atlantic on November 9, but at just 6–6.5 knots (around 12 kilometers per hour), according to vessel-tracking data cited by independent Russian outlet Agentstvo.
That is nearly half its speed of 10.7 knots recorded on October 28.
The tanker had originally been expected to reach New York on November 7, Reuters reported in October. Instead, tracking services MarineTraffic and VesselFinder now list its destination as "For Orders," with no estimated arrival date.
Two other tankers that departed Russian ports with diesel initially bound for the US have already changed course.
The Talisman is now heading toward Egypt's El Dekheila port, according to Agentstvo, while the Leruo changed its destination to Brazil and had not transmitted its position for nearly six days as of November 9.
The three vessels were carrying approximately 140,000 metric tons of fuel in total, according to the Financial Times.
A deal facing resistance
Trump announced an agreement with Putin on Russian diesel supplies on October 9. The US Treasury subsequently issued a temporary authorization for certain transactions involving Russian diesel.
But the arrangement has faced opposition from American lawmakers in both parties.
On October 26, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers warned port authorities in Houston, Corpus Christi, Beaumont and New York against facilitating Russian fuel deliveries, citing potential legal consequences.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill also urged port and terminal operators on November 2 not to accept Russian fuel, warning of possible civil and criminal liability.
A federal prohibition on imports of Russian petroleum products, introduced in 2022, remains a source of legal uncertainty despite the Treasury's temporary authorization.
The reasons for the Agioi Fanendes slowdown and the other vessels' route changes have not been established. There is no confirmation that US authorities have refused entry to any of the tankers.
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said last week that tankers bound for the US were continuing on their original routes.