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The two tankers are carrying 1.4 million barrels of Urals crude, which was earlier popular with Indian refiners.
A Bloomberg report said more changes of oil tanker destinations might follow
Two Russian oil cargoes originally destined for East Asia have changed course to India, according to a Bloomberg report citing ship-tracking data. The development comes as the Strait of Hormuz faces disruptions due to the Iran war, affecting Middle Eastern oil supplies to several countries, including India.
The two tankers are carrying 1.4 million barrels of Urals crude, which was earlier popular with Indian refiners. However, its supply to India has fallen sharply this year amid pressure from the US on New Delhi to curb purchases of Russian oil.
The two tankers are Odune and Matari. According to Bloomberg, the Odune, a Suezmax carrying 730,000 barrels, already arrived in India on Wednesday at the Paradip port. However, the Matari, an Aframax with over 700,000 barrels, will reach Gujarat’s Vadinar on Thursday.
The report said more changes of destinations might follow. The report, citing ship-tracking data, said Indri, a Suezmax in the Arabian Sea, which was heading to Singapore, also made a turn towards India this week with about 730,000 barrels of Urals on board.
All three vessels were sanctioned by the UK and the European Union last year.
Meanwhile, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday citing five traders, buyer interest in Russian oil in India and China is being spurred by concerns over Middle Eastern supply though prices have not yet reacted.
Disruption to flows via the Strait of Hormuz at the southern tip of the Gulf has tightened availability of Middle Eastern grades and pushed freight rates higher, traders and analysts said.
“Indian refiners are now consulting with the government about the possibility of additional Russian imports,” one source said, according to Reuters.
Chinese buyers are also showing interest, though recent buying has left them with supply.
“China bought large volumes at low prices ahead of the Lunar New Year, so it can afford to wait until the outlook for the war in Iran becomes clearer,” one trader said, as cited by Reuters.
Another trader told Reuters: “Buyers expect the conflict in Iran to end soon and are reluctant to pay more with Brent at current levels.”
China in recent months has absorbed barrels displaced from India, increasing its seaborne purchases to multi‑month highs at deeply discounted prices, traders said.
The discount for Russian Urals crude loading from the port of Primorsk free on board (FOB) was $25-26 per barrel to dated Brent on Tuesday, steady with recent estimates, the latest available LSEG data showed.
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March 05, 2026, 13:24 IST
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