Eight tankers carrying Russian diesel may be headed to the United States — media
Kyiv • UNN
Eight tankers that could deliver more than 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel fuel to the United States are being tracked. The governor of New Jersey is threatening to prevent it from being received.
Ukrainian authorities are tracking 8 tankers carrying more than 300,000 tons of Russian diesel fuel that may be headed to the United States. RFE/RL reported this on November 3, citing sources in the Ukrainian government, UNN writes.
Details
Seven vessels declared the United States as their destination, while the eighth, the Greek-flagged Athina M., is suspected of making a similar voyage, the outlet writes.
Four tankers—Leruo, Primorye, Manta, and Feliks—are under sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, according to Ukrainian monitoring data, the sources said.
On October 9, the U.S. Treasury Department announced a temporary general license allowing transactions related to the supply of Russian diesel fuel to global markets, in an attempt to ease price pressure.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that he had agreed with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin to release millions of tons of Russian diesel fuel over three months for use in the United States and on global markets.
The vessels named by the Ukrainian sources loaded their cargoes at Russian ports in October, mostly at Primorsk on the Baltic Sea. Their estimated arrival dates in the United States range from November 7 to 18, the outlet indicates.
Two U.S.-based advocacy organizations, the American Coalition for Ukraine and Razom for Ukraine, confirmed that this week they are tracking 13 vessels that may deliver Russian diesel fuel to U.S. ports.
The groups identified the vessels Taurus and Agioi Fanendes as the two most likely to be carrying Russian fuel.
Taurus is reportedly carrying Russian diesel fuel, although no cargo manifest confirms its contents. It stopped near the port of Wilmington, North Carolina, on November 1, then returned to sea the following day. There is no evidence that it unloaded its cargo, the outlet writes.
The vessel Agioi Fanendes is believed to be carrying about 40,000 tons of Russian ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, but its discharge port remains unknown. The groups said they had not identified any U.S. buyer or terminal.
Sources in the Ukrainian government, who wished to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to comment publicly, estimated its cargo at 35,700 tons and said that the vessel was sailing west across the Atlantic, with an estimated arrival date of November 7.
The advocacy organizations said they are also tracking 11 additional vessels based on cargo reports or their locations, adding that the number could grow.
John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and now senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, said he believes the shipments will likely reach the United States unless a new obstacle arises.
"This is a deal that Trump has already arranged," Herbst said. "If no new obstacle to the delivery of this diesel fuel arises, I think it will be delivered."
However, he said, potential buyers could face legal consequences under a 2022 law that bans the import of Russian energy products.
Herbst referred to a warning by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and said that companies considering purchasing the fuel would have to weigh the possibility of legal action, even if the administration had authorized the transactions.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned port officials and terminal operators that accepting Russian diesel fuel could violate federal law and expose them to civil and criminal penalties.
In a November 2 letter, Sherrill said that neither Trump nor U.S. Treasury officials have broad authority to overturn Congress's ban on imports of Russian energy products, enacted in April 2022 after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.
She promised to use legal and regulatory measures to prevent the fuel from being received at New Jersey ports.