India's Russian oil imports rise in May as refiners boost purchases

Published 14 June 2026 · local

India remained the world's second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels in May, importing an estimated 5.8 billion euros ($6.7 billion) worth of Russian hydrocarbons as

India remained the world's second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels in May, importing an estimated 5.8 billion euros ($6.7 billion) worth of Russian hydrocarbons as refiners stepped up crude purchases from Moscow, European think tank Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said in a report. Crude oil accounted for about 83% of India's imports from Russia during the month, valued at 4.8 billion euros, while oil products and coal imports stood at 550 million euros and 429 million euros, respectively. "India's total crude import volumes recorded an 8% month-on-month increase in May. This is partially explained by a 21% month-on-month increase in Russian imports," CREA said. Some of India's largest refining hubs recorded notable increases in Russian crude arrivals. Unloaded volumes at the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat rose 36% from April levels, while deliveries to the Jamnagar refining complex in the state increased 14%.

According to CREA, state-run refiners also expanded purchases after resuming imports earlier this year. The New Mangalore and Visakhapatnam refineries, which had halted Russian crude imports at the end of November 2025, continued buying Russian oil after restarting purchases in March. Russian crude deliveries to New Mangalore rose 13% month-on-month in May, while imports at Visakhapatnam jumped 42%, it said. The Paradip refinery on Odisha's east coast also unloaded its highest volume of Russian crude in two years, underscoring the continued attractiveness of discounted Russian barrels for Indian refiners despite evolving geopolitical and sanctions-related pressures. India emerged as one of the largest buyers of Russian oil since Western sanctions and trade restrictions reshaped global energy flows following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Indian refiners have consistently increased purchases of discounted Russian crude, helping offset higher energy costs while boosting refining margins and exports of petroleum products.

The latest figures suggest Russian oil continues to account for a significant share of India's crude import basket, even as the country diversifies supplies from the West Asia, Africa and the United States. According to CREA, China bought 50 of Russia's crude exports in May, followed by India (36%), Turkiye (6%), and the EU (5%) "In May 2026, China remained the largest global buyer of Russian fossil fuels, accounting for 38% (Euro 7.0 billion) of Russia's export revenues from the top five importers. Crude oil made up 69% (Euro 4.8 bn) of China's purchases, followed by pipeline gas (Euro 618 million), then coal (Euro 525 million), and lastly LNG (Euro 510 million). Oil products (Euro 479 million) constituted the remainder of China's imports," it said. CREA said despite the EU's ban on imports of oil products made from Russian crude on January 21, 2026, 10 shipments of oil products from refineries using Russian crude were unloaded at EU ports in the month of May.