Russian Oil Tankers Awaiting Clearance Off Indian Coast Amid Escalating Sanctions and U.S. Tariff Threats

At least four tankers loaded with Russian crude oil are currently idle off the western coast of India as increasing sanctions and the threat of substantial U.S. tariffs disrupt oil imports, according to NDTV Profit, an Indian business news outlet.

Two of these ships, the Achilles and the Elyte, are moored near Jamnagar, having originally planned to dock at the nearby Sikka terminal between Wednesday and Thursday.

These vessels were filled with Urals-grade crude oil at Russia’s main export terminals, Primorsk and Ust-Luga, both of which are affected by sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Additionally, two more tankers, the Destan and the Horae, are also stationed offshore. While the Destan is subject to the same EU and U.K. sanctions, the Horae is not currently sanctioned.

These delays have arisen amid a notable change in Indian purchasing patterns following threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. He has vowed to implement 100% tariffs on countries that persist in importing Russian energy unless Moscow ceases its military actions in Ukraine by August 8.

Trump had initially set a 50-day deadline but unexpectedly shortened it to just 10 days on Tuesday, accusing President Vladimir Putin of engaging in “nice and respectful conversations” while continuing to attack Ukrainian cities.

In light of increasing pressure from Washington, Bloomberg reported that Indian officials have directed state-run refiners to create contingency plans and consider alternative sources of crude, including suppliers from the Middle East and West Africa.

This warning seems to have had an immediate effect. Four major Indian state-owned oil companies, which combined account for over 60% of the nation’s refining capacity, have already halted purchases of Russian crude oil.

Nevertheless, private Indian refiners such as Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy — the latter partly owned by Russia’s Rosneft — continue to be the largest importers of Russian oil in the country.