Preliminary shipping data and trade sources show Russia will import nearly
270,000 tons of refined products from Asia in August via ship-to-ship (STS)
transfers to ease fuel shortages after Ukrainian strikes damaged its refineries.
About one-third of the volumes reportedly originate in India; the remainder were
loaded off Korea and Malaysia. Traders organized STS transfers between tankers,
likely to obscure origin and route amid sanctions risk. Vortexa and Kpler data
and trade sources show no comparable shipments in July. Two tankers are due to
reach Russia’s Far East this week: one loaded at least 40,000 tons of jet fuel
via STS near the Johor Strait, said to originate in India; another loaded nearly
30,000 tons of gasoline via STS near Yeosu, South Korea, in early August.
