Middle East conflict enters day 6: Russian oil cargoes divert to India, two tankers expected to discharge this week

Russian oil shipments originally bound for East Asia are diverting to India, according to ship-tracking data. The shift suggests New Delhi is increasingly willing to accept Russian crude as Middle East tensions threaten global supplies, Bloomberg reported.

Two tankers carrying a combined 1.4 million barrels of Urals crude are expected to discharge at Indian ports this week. Both vessels previously signalled destinations further east, according to data from Kpler and Vortexa. While Urals were once a staple for Indian refiners, flows slowed earlier this year as the US pressured New Delhi to curb purchases.

The Suezmax vessel Odune, carrying 730,000 barrels, arrived at Paradip on India’s east coast on Wednesday. It remains unclear if the cargo has been discharged. The Matari, an Aframax carrying over 700,000 barrels, is scheduled to reach Vadinar in western India on Thursday.

Indian refiners had recently reduced Russian imports to avoid disrupting trade relations with Washington, forcing Moscow to pivot toward Chinese buyers. However, the conflict in the Middle East and the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz have raised fears of crude shortages, prompting South Asian processors to return to Russian supplies.

Further diversions appear likely. The Indri, a Suezmax in the Arabian Sea, made a sharp turn toward India this week with 730,000 barrels of Urals on board, despite signaling Singapore as its destination.

All three vessels—the Odune, Matari, and Indri—were sanctioned by the U.K. and the European Union last year.

Global Ship Solutions LLC, the Azerbaijan-based manager for the Odune, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Contact details for its owner, Sylvarn Fleetline Ltd., were unavailable.

The Matari’s manager, Anchor Elite Shipmanagement, also based in Azerbaijan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Contact details for its owner, Oasis Bloom Corp, could not be found.

No contact information was available for the Indri’s owner, Veyronda Seaborne Ltd., or its manager, Stellar Ship Solutions LLC.