According to a report by the Centre for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA), in September, refineries in India and two other countries using Russian crude oil exported to sanctioning countries for a total of 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion). This figure increased by 43 percent compared to August.
Reliance Industries Ltd refinery in Jamnagar (India) supplied six out of seven shipments discharged in EU ports that month, despite the bloc's ban on fuel produced from Russian crude oil.
The CREA report covers refineries in India, Turkey, and Brunei. The European Union received products worth 667 million euros, Australia 168 million euros, the USA 154 million euros, and New Zealand 19 million euros. According to CREA estimates, 295 million euros of products were obtained through the processing of Russian crude oil.
The Jamnagar plant also supplied the largest export batches to the USA worth 122 million euros, with the share of Russian crude oil in the plant's imports from July to September amounting to 32 percent. Italy received three of the seven shipments destined for the EU, Romania two, while Spain and Cyprus each received one.
The volume of exports declared as intended for EU ports from refineries operating on Russian crude oil increased by 80 percent in value, including one tanker of gas oil (diesel fuel) measuring 104,000 tons from Jamnagar, which is still headed to Rotterdam.
Recommendations for import bans
The EU introduced a ban on the import of petroleum products derived from Russian crude oil in January 2026. This ban exempts 'clean exporters' from restrictions; however, CREA notes that this creates a loophole because the status of a clean exporter does not prevent a country from processing raw materials of Russian origin. The group recommends applying the ban at the refinery level, excluding products from any facility that processed Russian crude oil within the preceding six months, regardless of the product's declared origin.
Dynamics of Russian crude oil imports into India
CREA reported that Russian crude oil imports into India decreased by 13 percent in September, marking the second consecutive monthly decline and the lowest figure since April. The decrease was observed across all three largest importing refineries: Jamnagar reduced imports by 27 percent, Paradip corporation of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) by 21 percent, and Vadinar of Nayara Energy by 8 percent. Despite the overall decline, Vadinar surpassed Jamnagar as the largest importer of Russian crude oil in India.
CREA specified that in September, India was the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels, importing Russian hydrocarbons totaling 4.1 billion euros. Crude oil accounted for 88 percent of these purchases, equivalent to 3.6 billion euros. The remainder of the imports included coal (309 million euros) and petroleum products (161 million euros).
Imports at smaller facilities also largely showed a downward trend: the HMEL Mundra Oil Terminal and the Kochi refinery reduced receipts by 74 and 32 percent, respectively, compared to the previous month. However, the only exception was the IOC Mundra Oil Terminal, which received 570 thousand tons of Russian crude oil in September after not receiving any in August.
India's role in the global market
In September, India became the second-largest consumer of Russian fossil fuels, spending 4.1 billion euros on Russian hydrocarbons, with 88 percent of that amount attributed to crude oil. Only China exceeded this figure. Since December 2022, India has purchased 37 percent of Russian crude oil exports, while China's share stood at 50 percent.
Before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India was only a minor buyer of Russian oil. It transformed into a major client when Western buyers reduced demand and Russia began selling oil at significant discounts. In September, the average price for Urals crude was $90.7 per barrel, but it was still trading $23 below Brent, unchanged from August.
Analysts from Kpler suggest that the decline in volumes is partly related to tightening supply and increased competition from China for Russian barrels, rather than solely pressure from the US. They forecast that India's imports will remain at 1.8–1.9 million barrels per day in October.