Australia, European Union (EU), the UK and the US cumulatively imported more than $1 billion worth of petroleum products in October 2025 from Indian and Turkish refiners, of which more than half was processed from Russian crude oil, revealed the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
According to data from the Finland-based CREA, these four countries purchased petroleum products worth $1.12 billion from India and Turkey. Of the total, petroleum products worth around $510 million were processed from Russian crude oil.
“In October (2025), the EU, Australia, the UK and the US imported Euro 971 million of refined products from six Indian and Turkish refineries using Russian crude. An estimated Euro 443 million of these products were refined from Russian crude,” it said.
Another interesting development was that petroleum product purchases by the US and Australia rose on a M-o-M basis in October this year.
While there was an 8 per cent month-on-month reduction in sanctioning countries’ imports from the six Indian and Turkish refineries using Russian crude in October, the decrease was led chiefly by the EU and UK, who recorded monthly reductions of 9 per cent and 73 per cent, CREA said.
“By contrast, Australia’s imports in October saw a 140 per cent increase to Euro 93 million and US imports also recorded a 17 per cent increase to Euro 126.6 million. Both of these are yet to announce a ban on oil products made from Russian crude,” it added.
Australia’s imports originated chiefly from the Jamnagar and New Mangalore refineries in India, while the US’s came from the former as well as the two Tupras owned refineries in Turkiye, the agency pointed out.
Last month, the average price of Russia’s Urals crude oil grade fell by 4 per cent M-o-M to $59 per barrel, remaining above the new price cap of $47.6 per barrel.
“In October, the discount on Urals crude narrowed by 4 per cent month-on-month, averaging $4.92 per barrel below Brent. This discount may also have been impacted by the implementation of the agreed lower price cap level of $47.6 per barrel,” CREA said.
However, the purchases are set to decline from December 2025 as the US sanctions deadline of November 21 comes into effect. The US has slapped sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, the two Russian oil giants who account for more than 71 per cent of the crude oil exports by Moscow.
India and Turkey procure Russian crude oil and process them into diesel and jet fuel that is sold in the EU, the US and other countries.
In a keen development, said CREA, the Rosneft owned Vadinar refinery, which is now sanctioned by the EU and the UK, increased its production to 90 per cent capacity in October.
After the EU sanctions in July 2025, the refinery has been importing crude solely from Russia. In October, their imports from Russia recorded a 32 per cent month-on-month increase to their highest volumes since the full-scale invasion.
Exports from the refinery have dropped significantly by 47 per cent compared to the same month last year, which is its lowest level since May 2023, CREA pointed out.
In terms of crude oil imports, India remained the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels, importing a total of Euro 3.1 billion, or roughly $3.6 billion.
Crude oil dominated India’s purchases at 81 per cent, Euro 2.5 billion ($2.9 billion), followed by coal at 11 per cent, Euro 351 million ($404 million) and oil products at 7 per cent, Euro 222 million ($255 million).
“India’s Russian crude imports recorded a 11 per cent month-on-month increase, which corresponds closely to an 8 per cent month-on-month increase in total imports. While private refiners’ imports constituted over two-thirds of India’s total imports, state owned refineries almost doubled their Russian volumes month-on-month in October,” CREA said.
Published on November 22, 2025
