Seven tankers made 14 voyages to Russia’s Far East in July and August, according to port and vessel-tracking records. Three of the ships were under UK and EU sanctions.
More than 176,000 tonnes of fuel, mostly diesel, was shipped from South Korea to Russia in July and August, The Guardian reported after analysing port records and vessel-tracking data. Seven tankers made 14 voyages to Russia’s Far East. Three of the ships were under UK and European Union sanctions.
One of the largest carriers was the sanctioned tanker Layla. It made two trips from Ulsan to Vladivostok, leaving on July 19 and August 10, and carried 57,000 tonnes of diesel in total. On the second voyage it listed Japan’s Niigata as its destination before sailing to Vladivostok. The Russian-flagged Astoria, also under Australian sanctions, loaded nearly 11,000 tonnes of fuel at Ulsan on August 1. It declared Japan as its destination before continuing to Russia.
A third sanctioned tanker, Chongchon, did not berth at a port. In early August it took on about 26,000 tonnes from the unsanctioned Celeste I at an anchorage off Yeosu, then headed to Vladivostok after declaring Singapore as its destination. The owners and managers of four vessels did not respond to The Guardian’s requests for comment. South Korean port records do not identify who owned or sold the fuel.
The reporting comes as Russia’s refining capacity has fallen. The International Energy Agency said refinery throughput in June was at its lowest level in more than 20 years and diesel output was nearly 30 per cent lower than a year earlier. Kpler data analysed by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air showed Russia imported 368,000 tonnes of oil products by sea in August, more than seven times the previous month. South Korea accounted for 112,000 tonnes, or 31 per cent, second only to India.
Kpler data showed buyers included Rosneft, which is under UK, US, EU and Australian sanctions, and Russian oil group NNK. NNK’s owner Eduard Khudainatov and its NNK-Oil company are under UK sanctions. The Guardian said the shipments involved vessels sanctioned by some of Seoul’s Western partners but did not appear to breach South Korean law.
Seoul has provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid and non-lethal military supplies, while ruling out direct weapons shipments. South Korea pledged $2.3bn in support in 2023, mostly in loans, and President Lee Jae Myung later promised $100m for Ukraine’s reconstruction. The government has also sought to maintain ties with Moscow.
South Korea’s foreign ministry did not directly comment on the tankers. It said Seoul was participating in international efforts to end the war and support peaceful recovery, and had expanded export controls to 1,402 non-strategic items with a high potential for military diversion. The Guardian also reported that the UK temporarily exempted existing South Korean gas contracts from a ban on maritime services for Russian LNG, due to take effect in January 2027.