Two tankers carrying Russian diesel change course en route to the US — PBS NewsHour
Two sanctioned tankers carrying Russian diesel, which initially listed the US East Coast as their destination, have changed their routes. One is heading to Brazil, while the other is heading to the Mediterranean Sea, PBS NewsHour reports, citing data from Kpler and the MarineTraffic service.
Tankers’ routes changed
Both vessels departed last month from the Russian Baltic port of Primorsk. The Financial Times was the first to report the change in their courses. They are the Russian tanker Talisman and the Sierra Leone-flagged Leruo.
A third vessel is in the North Atlantic and is heading toward the United States, but changed its listed destination from New York to “for orders.” This means that the unloading location remains open. Kpler analyst Matt Smith said it is currently unclear whether the shipments of Russian diesel have buyers in the United States, and the third tanker may also change course.
Dispute over imports
On October 9, US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the leader of the aggressor state, on the immediate supply of more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel from Russia to the US and global markets. The United States banned imports of Russian energy resources after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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The White House and the Kremlin did not say whether the agreement had been put in writing, and they also did not disclose the price, payment terms, or the list of companies involved. The US Department of the Treasury temporarily authorized transactions involving the sale, delivery, unloading, and import of Russian diesel through April 7, although such operations are normally subject to sanctions.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill called on the state’s port operators and terminal owners not to accept vessels carrying such fuel. She said the Trump administration does not have the authority to repeal the import ban passed by Congress, and that the state will use legal and regulatory means to prevent public facilities and companies from handling Russian fuel. A bipartisan group of senators also called on Trump to abandon the agreement.
The Kremlin said it had no details regarding commercial deliveries, but that all the diesel would find buyers. Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the Financial Times report false and said that tankers intended for the United States were continuing on course.
