Three Russian Tankers Sail To US With Diesel In First Shipment Since 2023

Three tankers carrying Russian diesel have left Primorsk for North America under a new import agreement in what would be the first such delivery to the United States since 2023, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak reported on Friday.

The shipment follows a diesel supply deal that US President Donald Trump announced two weeks ago after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The agreement is seen as an attempt by the US President to address high fuel prices in America ahead of the midterm elections.

Novak said three fuel tankers were already moving towards the Atlantic coast. The cargo matters beyond energy trade because it marks a visible easing in Washington’s stance towards Moscow after Trump approved a broad sanctions law last month and later paused parts of it.

Shipment Details

Novak confirmed the movement of the first cargo. “The first three fuel tankers are already on their way to the eastern coast of the Atlantic Ocean, with significant support from the RDIF (Russian Direct Investment Fund),” Reuters reported.

According to marine intelligence firm Kpler, the first tanker signalled on Friday that it was headed to New York and was due to arrive on November 7, AP reported.

The Kremlin separately confirmed the dispatch. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “The first oil tanker has sailed off to customers, and regular supplies will continue.” Novak had earlier told Interfax that the first shipment across the three tankers would total 40,000 tons of diesel.

Volume And Supply

The volume is modest. The 40,000 tons works out to about 300,000 barrels of diesel.

That amounts to roughly 7 per cent of the around 4 million barrels of diesel that the US economy uses in one day, according to AP. Even so, it is the first Russian diesel cargo bound for the US in about three years.

Novak also said Russian companies could supply 500,000 metric tonnes to the US in October. When he announced the arrangement, Trump said Russia would “immediately supply” more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the US, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.”

Political Fallout And Waivers

The deal triggered criticism quickly. In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky called it a “weak decision by strong partners”.

Back in the US, the arrangement drew attacks from Republicans and Democrats, with Trump accused of violating American laws. The agreement also marked a policy reversal after Trump signed a sweeping sanctions package last month that allowed for tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five buyers of Russian energy.

Those measures were later paused. Days after unveiling the diesel deal, Trump waived sanctions under the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which could have targeted India and four nations for buying Russian oil and gas.

The House of Representatives had passed that law a month earlier, giving Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian energy. The sanctions were waived on national-interest grounds until further notice. The act’s secondary sanctions have only been deferred, leaving Trump free to use the law against these countries whenever he chooses.

Relations With Zelensky

The diesel cargo is one of several recent concessions Trump has allowed Moscow. It comes amid Trump’s souring relations with Zelensky, with the US President accusing the latter of not wanting to end the conflict with Russia.