India’s Biggest Refiner Drops Russian Oil to Stay in Compliance With Western Sanctions

India’s energy giant Reliance Industries has fully stopped importing Russian crude oil into its massive Jamnagar refining complex, ending purchases ahead of a new wave of US, UK, and EU sanctions targeting Moscow’s oil sector, the company told Reuters on November 20.

The decision marks a significant shift for a company that holds a long-term supply agreement with Russia’s Rosneft to buy nearly 500,000 barrels of crude per day. Despite that deal, Reliance has repeatedly said it would comply with Western restrictions imposed in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Washington gave international firms until November 21 to wind down dealings with Rosneft and Lukoil. The European Union, meanwhile, will ban imports of any fuel produced at refineries that have received or processed Russian crude within 60 days of loading—a rule that comes into force January 21.

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Reliance said all of its export products will be made solely from non-Russian crude beginning December 1, noting that the transition was completed earlier than planned to ensure full compliance. The company added that previously arranged Russian shipments approved before October 22 are still being honored because those logistics were already underway; the final cargo was loaded on November 12. Any ships arriving on or after November 20 will be processed only within India’s Domestic Tariff Area.

Europe remains one of Reliance’s most important markets, accounting for roughly 28% of the company’s total exports, a key factor behind the decision to sever Russian oil imports ahead of the sanctions deadline.

Earlier, Brazil, one of the world’s top oil producers, sharply reduced its imports of Russian diesel as US sanctions and supply constraints inside Russia began to reshape global fuel flows.

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