Oil from South Korea being shipped to Russia as Ukraine war grinds on
Guardian analysis found that more than 150,000 tonnes of fuel was shipped from South Korea to Russian ports during July and August. Some shipments used tankers sanctioned by the UK and EU, as Russia sought fuel supplies during its war with Ukraine.
One vessel, the Russian-flagged Astoria, loaded almost 11,000 tonnes at Ulsan on 1 August. It listed Japan as its destination but sailed to Vladivostok. Another tanker, the Chongchon, received about 26,000 tonnes from the unsanctioned Celeste I near Yeosu, then travelled to Vladivostok after naming Singapore as its destination.
The cargo ownership and sellers remain unclear; South Korean port records do not identify them. Data from maritime analytics company Kpler indicates that buyers included Rosneft and Russian oil group NNK. The transfers do not appear to violate South Korean law, which mainly restricts exports of certain goods to Russia.
South Korea has provided Ukraine with humanitarian and non-lethal military assistance and pledged reconstruction support. An expert said the fuel trade weakens the message of Seoul’s backing for Kyiv; the article does not identify any announced next steps on the shipments.
Key points
- More than 150,000 tonnes of fuel reached Russian ports from South Korea in July and August.
- Three vessels were sanctioned by the UK and EU; one loaded fuel through a transfer at sea.
- Kpler data names Rosneft and NNK among the buyers, but sellers and cargo owners are unclear.