Kpler's tracking points to a vessel signaling for New York, potentially the first U.S. delivery of Russian diesel since July 2023; the Kremlin separately reported a tanker departure.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that an initial tanker had set out for customers and that further deliveries would continue. He did not provide the vessel's name or destination. The link between the Kremlin's announcement, Kpler's tracked vessel and the supply plan announced by U.S. President Donald Trump is unverified. Kpler estimates the vessel could reach New York on Nov. 7.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 135 on Oct. 9. It authorizes covered transactions involving Russian-origin diesel, including U.S. imports, through 12:01 a.m. EDT April 7, 2027. The license does not name a buyer or establish that the tracked vessel is covered. EconoTimes previously reported on the diesel plan and license.
Trump presented the arrangement as a way to ease fuel costs. The Associated Press reported that Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries had constrained diesel output and contributed to shortages that have since eased. Ukraine has urged foreign governments to tighten sanctions on Moscow, arguing Russian sales help fund the invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's decision “a weak decision by strong partners.”
Kpler's estimated Nov. 7 arrival is the next shipping milestone.
