Russia has dismissed concerns that sanctions and tariffs imposed by the US and European Union (EU) will affect oil supplies to India, with senior officials in Moscow insisting they have a “very special mechanism” to circumvent restrictions introduced by the Donald Trump administration.

India is the second-largest buyer of Russian oil after China, with Moscow accounting for around 40 per cent of India’s crude supplies. Purchases increased sharply after Western sanctions followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. From 28 August, the US is set to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports linked to Russian oil imports, alongside a reciprocal 25 per cent duty, but Russian officials expressed confidence supplies would continue.

Deputy trade commissioner Evgeny Griva said: “Despite the political situation, crude oil imports will remain approximately the same. We cannot share details, but there are mechanisms to ensure supply.” Chargé d’affaires Roman Babushkin added that Russia had overcome such external threats before: “Each time, we have found ways to cooperate based on mutual interests. We are confident this will continue.”

Officials confirmed that supplies to the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat, jointly owned by Rosneft and an investment consortium, had not been disrupted despite recent EU sanctions. Rosneft holds a 49.13 per cent stake in the refinery, India’s second-largest single-site facility with a capacity of 20 million metric tonnes per year. Russia, they said, has created mechanisms to tackle shipping and insurance issues, reducing reliance on EU services.

The officials acknowledged that oil import prices could swing by up to 5 per cent under Western pressure, but stressed that India and Russia remain on track to reach their USD 100 billion bilateral trade target by 2030, with annual growth of around 10 per cent. Bilateral trade hit a record USD 68.7 billion in FY 2024–25, though India’s exports were only USD 4.88 billion, leaving a USD 60 billion imbalance. Russia pledged to ease barriers, create new logistics corridors, and develop payment mechanisms to address this gap.

On defence ties, Babushkin reaffirmed Russia as India’s “partner of choice”, citing joint projects such as the BrahMos missile and the S-400 air defence system. He said May’s Operation Sindoor, during which Indian forces used the BrahMos and S-400 against Pakistan, was a “successful battle test” of Russian systems. He confirmed Russia’s involvement in India’s planned Sudarshan Chakra air defence shield, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is due to be operational by 2035.

The statements came as Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Moscow to meet counterpart Sergey Lavrov and co-chair the Inter-Governmental Commission with Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. These meetings form part of preparations for President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India later this year, where trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, and nuclear cooperation—including small modular reactors—will be on the agenda.