MOSCOW: Three tankers carrying Russian diesel are en route to the United States, vessel trackers reported on Tuesday following a Moscow statement, as part of a deal that sparked fierce Ukrainian backlash.
The three ships appear to be the Talisman, which is sanctioned by the US and the European Union; the Leruo, sanctioned by the UK and EU; and the Agioi Fanendes, according to tracking platform Kpler. They are carrying a collective 924,000 barrels of diesel, according to maritime tracking firm Kpler, which is about a third of the US transportation sector’s daily diesel consumption.
US President Donald Trump this month struck an agreement with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to ease sanctions in exchange for Moscow releasing diesel onto global markets.
The measure was seen as an attempt to lower fuel prices for American consumers ahead of the US midterm legislative elections on November 3, and drew sharp criticism from Ukraine and its allies.
“At present, three tankers” with Russian fuel are on their way to the United States, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters on Tuesday.
A fourth was expected to set off on Wednesday, he added.
The three departed vessels left the Russian port of Primorsk between October 16 and 22, and are expected to arrive at the United States’ east coast between November 7 and 11, their tracks show.
The Agioi Fanendes is heading to New York, while the destinations of the other two ships are only specified as being on the Atlantic Coast, according to Kpler.
Relations between Kyiv and Washington have soured since the US-Russia diesel deal, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling it a “weak decision”.
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