Refineries in India, Turkiye and Brunei that process Russian crude shipped oil products worth 1 bn euros to countries imposing sanctions in September, a 43 per cent increase from August, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Products worth 295 mn euros were estimated to have been refined from Russian crude.

The European Union received products worth 667 mn euros, followed by Australia at 168 mn euros, the United States at 154 mn euros and New Zealand at 19 mn euros. Reliance Industries' Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat supplied six of the seven cargoes unloaded at EU ports, despite the bloc's ban on fuel produced from Russian crude.

The value of exports reported as destined for EU ports rose 80 per cent. The shipments included a 104,000 t cargo of gasoil, or diesel, from Jamnagar that was still en route to Rotterdam. Italy received three of the seven EU-bound shipments, Romania received two, while Spain and Cyprus received one each.

The EU banned imports of oil products refined from Russian crude in January 2026. CREA said the exemption for net crude exporters left a regulatory gap because net-export status did not prevent a country from refining Russian-origin crude. It recommended extending the ban to refineries that had processed Russian crude during the previous six months, regardless of the declared origin of the finished product.

India's Russian crude imports fell 13 per cent in September, the second consecutive monthly decline and the lowest level since April. Intake fell at Jamnagar by 27 per cent, Indian Oil Corporation's Paradip refinery by 21 per cent and Nayara Energy's Vadinar refinery by 8 per cent. Vadinar consequently became India's largest importer of Russian crude.

India imported Russian hydrocarbons worth 4.1 bn euros in September, including crude worth 3.6 bn euros, coal worth 309 mn euros and oil products worth 161 mn euros. It accounted for 37 per cent of Russia's crude exports since December 2022, compared with China's 50 per cent. Urals crude averaged USD 90.7 a barrel, remaining USD 23 below Brent.