New Delhi. The impact of the sanctions imposed by Western countries amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is now clearly visible in the global oil trade. Many Russian oil tankers going towards India and Türkiye now seem to be turning their attention towards China. Experts believe that this change may be the result of fear and increasing uncertainty about strict sanctions from America and the European Union.
According to the information, recently Panama-flagged tanker Bela-6 unloaded about one lakh tons of Russian crude oil at Izmit port in western Turkey. The delivery is believed to be an exception for Turkey’s biggest refinery, Tupras, which had cut Russian oil imports by about 69 percent ahead of new EU sanctions that came into effect on January 21. Under new EU rules, the import of products made from Russian crude oil into Europe has been banned, directly impacting refineries like India and Türkiye.
According to experts, US sanctions, uncertainty regarding Iran and Venezuela and new decisions of the European Union have made international oil supply unstable. London-based General Index analyst David Edwards says the current period is extraordinary, with geopolitical turmoil directly impacting the energy market.
Meanwhile, Indian refineries have also adopted a cautious approach. According to Kpler analyst Sumit Ritolia, India’s major refineries have imposed ‘voluntary restrictions’ by reducing purchases of Russian crude. India’s Russian oil imports fell by 29 percent to a three-year low in December 2025. The sanctions imposed by America on Russian giants Rosneft and Lukoil are also considered to be a major reason behind this.
A part of this extra Russian oil being released by India and Türkiye is going towards China. According to data, oil imports from Russia to China via sea route increased by 23 percent in December. Many such tankers, which were not accepted by India, were seen near Chinese ports. China’s small independent refineries, called ‘T-pots’, are adept at buying cheap oil and are willing to take risks, experts say. However, analysts believe that China will not be able to absorb all the abandoned Russian oil. Still, he may remain a big buyer given rising discounts and limited risk appetite.