Sanctioned tankers shipped 176,000 tons of fuel from South Korean ports to Russia - Guardian
More than 176,000 metric tons of fuel, mostly diesel, was loaded at South Korean ports and shipped to Russia in July and August, including aboard tankers sanctioned by the U.K. and EU, a Guardian analysis of port records and ship-tracking data found.
Seven tankers made 14 voyages from South Korea to Russia’s Far East during the two-month period. Three of the vessels are under U.K. and EU sanctions, while one received its cargo through a ship-to-ship transfer in South Korean waters.
Some vessels also declared destinations other than Russia before sailing to Vladivostok. The sanctioned Russian-flagged tanker Astoria loaded nearly 11,000 tons of fuel in Ulsan on Aug. 1 and listed Japan as its destination, while another vessel declared Singapore before carrying about 26,000 tons to Russia, according to the Guardian.
The shipments come as Ukrainian drone attacks have disrupted Russia’s domestic refining capacity. Russian refinery throughput fell in June to its lowest level in more than 20 years, while diesel production was nearly 30% lower than a year earlier, according to the International Energy Agency.
Russia imported 368,000 tons of oil products by sea in August - more than seven times the July volume and the highest monthly total since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler. South Korea accounted for 112,000 tons, or 31%, making it Russia’s second-largest source after India that month.
Kpler data showed that buyers included Russian state-controlled oil company Rosneft, which is under U.S., U.K., EU and Australian sanctions.
The shipments do not appear to violate South Korean law. Seoul’s restrictions on trade with Russia focus largely on goods that could be diverted to military use, rather than fuel exports. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry told the Guardian that the country supports international efforts to end the war and is “strictly enforcing” its export controls.
The fuel trade comes as relations between Seoul and Kyiv are already strained over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war from Ukraine to South Korea. Seoul says the transfer was supposed to remain confidential, while Kyiv has denied that such an agreement existed.
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