Three tankers carrying 924,000 barrels of Russian diesel, including two vessels reportedly subject to Western sanctions, are en route to the U.S. East Coast. The vessels—the Agioi Fanendes, Leruo, and Talisman—left Russia’s Baltic port of Primorsk between October 16 and 22, with expected arrivals between November 7 and 11, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler and vessel-tracking data reported by AFP.
The Agioi Fanendes, flagged to Malta, loaded approximately 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low-sulfur diesel on October 22 and is heading toward New York. The other two tankers, the Leruo and Talisman, are bound for unspecified Atlantic Coast destinations. The combined shipment represents roughly one-third of the U.S. transportation sector’s daily diesel consumption.
The shipments follow an agreement announced by President Donald Trump this month to allow Russian diesel back onto international markets, framed as an effort to reduce fuel prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The White House directed inquiries to the president’s remarks when asked for comment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and members of Trump’s Republican Party have criticized the deal, arguing it could benefit Moscow amid its ongoing war in Ukraine. Zelensky stated in recent remarks that a trilateral meeting between Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow is planned for November to discuss the conflict, with potential territorial issues to be addressed at the leadership level.
Meanwhile, reports indicate the Trump administration is considering lifting U.S. sanctions on Russia’s government investment fund, headed by Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The Biden administration first imposed these sanctions in 2022, days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The move is part of broader energy negotiations between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to an unnamed U.S. official cited by The New York Times.
The tankers are currently in waters around the United Kingdom and northern Europe, per MarineTraffic data reviewed on October 28. The agreement to resume Russian diesel shipments has drawn scrutiny over its potential economic and geopolitical implications, with critics questioning whether the policy undermines sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Key Developments:
- Three sanctioned tankers carrying Russian diesel are heading to the U.S., arriving between November 7–11.
- The shipments are part of a Trump-Putin energy deal aimed at lowering fuel prices.
- Zelensky and Republicans have condemned the move, citing risks to sanctions enforcement.
- Reports suggest the U.S. may ease sanctions on a Russian investment fund tied to Dmitriev as part of the broader agreement.