Russian Oil Cargoes Head Away From India Amid Payment Issues
- Vessels travel east after idling for days, tracking data show
- ‘China seems to have stepped in,’ Kpler analyst Katona says
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A number of vessels hauling crude from Russia that had been idling off India are now headed away from the country eastwards, amid concerns over oil payments to Moscow that spurred a slump in arrivals last month.
Five ships all carrying Sokol oil from Russia’s Far East — the NS Commander, Sakhalin Island, Krymsk, Nellis, and Liteyny Prospect — are moving toward the Malacca Strait at 7 to 10 knots, according to vessel-tracking data. A sixth also holding Sokol — the NS Century — is still close to Sri Lanka.