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BP Oil Tanker Leaves Indian Port Empty Handed After EU Sanctions Hit Russian-Linked Refinery
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
An oil tanker chartered by BP has departed the Indian port of Vadinar without loading its planned cargo of diesel fuel, signaling the first visible impact of new EU sanctions targeting Russian-linked energy exports.
The vessel Talara was scheduled to load approximately 447,000 barrels of ultra-low sulfur diesel from the Nayara Energy refinery on July 21 for shipment to Africa, according to Reuters on July 22.
However, the loading was cancelled after the European Union imposed sanctions on the facility.
Nayara Energy is partly owned by Russia’s state oil company Rosneft and is one of only two private fuel exporters in India.
The refinery was included in the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia, which aims to further limit the Kremlin’s ability to finance its war against Ukraine through energy revenues.
Industry sources cited by Reuters confirmed that Talara left the port without taking on any cargo. In response, BP has reportedly made the vessel available for charter elsewhere, including in India or the Middle East.
In a statement, Nayara Energy described the EU decision as “unfair and unilateral,” while Indian authorities reiterated their position against unilateral sanctions not endorsed by the United Nations.
Earlier, maritime intelligence firm Dryad Global reported that Russia’s shadow tanker fleet has more than tripled since 2022, expanding to as many as 600 aging vessels used to bypass sanctions through tactics like flag-hopping, AIS deactivation, and falsified paperwork.
The fleet’s growth has triggered coordinated Western sanctions and raised concerns over environmental risks and rising freight costs.
