(Ecofin Agency) – The European Union’s ban on the import of fuels refined from Russian oil is changing the global diesel circuits. Deprived of the European market, India is now redirecting its exports to West Africa.
India stopped exporting diesel to the European Union in January, and simultaneously shipped record volumes to West Africa. This is shown by new maritime tracking data from companies specializing in the analysis of global oil, gas and refined products flows Kpler and Vortexa. This development is linked to the entry into force of a new European regulation banning the import of fuels produced from Russian oil.
Until now, India and Turkey have massively bought Russian crude at reduced prices, refined it into diesel, and then exported this product to Europe. The new rule now requires that a refinery must not have used any Russian oil in the sixty days prior to the date of embarkation of a cargo, in order to be able to export it to the European Union, unless it is able to physically separate the flows of Russian crude from other supplies.
In 2025, Russian oil accounted for 30% of India’s maritime crude imports and 48% of Turkey’s, according to Kpler. India, which exported an average of 137,000 barrels per day of diesel to the EU in 2025, did not send any shipments to the bloc in January 2026. Turkey reduced its exports to the EU to around 45,000 barrels per day in January, compared to an average of 87,000 barrels per day last year.
Some plants remain directly affected by this new constraint, including the Star refinery, owned by the Azerbaijani group Socar, which continued to import Russian crude in January. In India, Reliance was until now the main exporter of fuels to the European market.
Closing the breach of sanctions against Russian oil
The European Union’s objective is to close a loophole in its sanctions system against Moscow, put in place after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Until now, products refined from Russian crude oil could enter the European market as long as they had been processed outside Russia. This practice indirectly allowed Russian oil to continue to supply Europe in the form of refined fuels.
The new regulations now force Indian and Turkish refineries to arbitrate between continuing their imports of Russian crude and maintaining their access to the European market. According to analyst Clare Morris of Energy Aspects, this development is leading to a rebalancing of global flows, with more Indian diesel directed towards Africa and an increase in European supplies from the United States and the Middle East.
India’s diesel exports to West Africa reached a record high in December 2025, at around 155,000 barrels per day, and are expected to remain high in January 2026, around 84,000 barrels per day. This recomposition of trade illustrates the ability of European sanctions to reshape global energy routes, without immediately reducing overall trading volumes. West Africa is thus becoming a strategic outlet for Indian diesel, while the EU is redirecting its supplies to suppliers compatible with its regulatory framework.
source : agenceecofin
