The EU has imposed sanctions on the Georgian Kulevi oil refinery for processing Russian oil
The European Union has imposed restrictions on the Georgian oil refinery "Kulevi," which is accused of refining Russian oil. The facility became the first major Georgian asset to be targeted by EU sanctions for potentially circumventing restrictions against Russia.
The sanctions against the refinery, located on the Black Sea coast and controlled by Black Sea Petroleum, prohibit any transactions with the company. The restrictions will take effect in six months as part of the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine.
According to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), the Kulevi refinery, which began operations in the fall of 2025, regularly received shipments of Russian crude oil from Russneft.
Researchers note that from October 2025 to May 2026, the refinery received at least six shipments of Russian crude oil. During this period, products from the refinery were supplied to Spain and Bulgaria, among others.
At the same time, the EU stated that the refinery could be removed from the sanctions list if it ceases cooperation with Russian suppliers.
“Kulevi” has already announced its intention to stop refining Russian oil starting in August–September and to switch to purchasing crude from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
An EU representative said that negotiations with the company are ongoing. According to him, the refinery must fulfill its promise to diversify its supplies, after which the EU may consider removing it from the sanctions list.
The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is concerned about the EU’s decision but assured that the country will not allow its territory to be used to circumvent international sanctions.
The Kulevi Oil Refinery began operations in October 2025 with an initial processing capacity of approximately 1.2 million metric tons of crude oil per year. In the first half of 2026, the facility processed over 650,000 metric tons of crude oil.
According to CREA, between February 2023 and February 2026, petroleum products worth approximately 811 million euros were shipped from the port of Kulevi to the EU and the U.S.
Source: Glavkom.
As a reminder, the EU imposed sanctions against six individuals for human rights violations in Iran.
The European Union has imposed sanctions against Russian Major General Roman Demurchiev, who is believed to be involved in serious human rights violations and war crimes committed during the war against Ukraine.
