Iranian Tankers Obscure Routes as India Continues Russian Oil Imports
London – Data analyzed by BBC Verify reveals a resurgence in location-spoofing by Iranian tankers, coinciding with continued notable imports of Russian oil by India despite U.S. pressure to curtail them. The obscured tracking data comes as the price of Russian oil has recently risen following damage to Russian oil depots and refineries from Ukrainian drone strikes.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently claimed prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India would halt its Russian oil purchases, a statement India’s external affairs ministry has not confirmed. The ministry stated India’s energy decisions are driven by domestic needs, including maintaining stable fuel prices. India dramatically increased its purchases of russian crude in 2022, taking advantage of discounted prices offered after Western sanctions were imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The share of India’s oil imports originating from russia has climbed from 2% in 2022 to 35% currently, with purchase volumes remaining largely consistent throughout 2023, according to data from Kpler. This trend has prompted recent tariffs on Indian goods exported to the U.S. from the Trump governance.
However,provisional data for October indicates a notable increase in India’s oil purchases from the united States. Yui Torikata, a senior crude oil market analyst at Kpler, confirmed the recent price increase of Russian oil is linked to the damage inflicted on Russian oil infrastructure by Ukrainian drone attacks.
