Russia sent Arctic oil to Syria for the first time

Russia has sent tankers of Arctic oil to Syria for the first time, due to limited buyers amid sanctions.

Two tankers under U.S. sanctions are set to unload Russian Arctic oil in Syria for the first time, Reuters reported.

One of the tankers, the Aquatica, carrying about 100,000 tons of Russian oil, is due to unload at the port of Baniyas soon, according to a government source and Syria TV.

The vessel arrived on Thursday, March 20, but has not yet been unloaded.

The second tanker, the Sakina, is still en route to Baniyas with another 100,000 tons of oil, and is due to arrive on March 25.

Both vessels, as well as the floating storage tanker Umba, which is located near the northern port of Murmansk and from which both tankers loaded oil in February, are subject to US sanctions imposed on January 10.

Following the imposition of US sanctions on Gazprom Neft and tankers that transport oil, Russia has been forced to look for new buyers for its Arctic oil.

Syria is trying to find an alternative to Iranian oil for its refineries as it struggles with declining domestic production. The Syrian refinery in Banias, the country’s largest, stopped operating in December 2024 due to shortages caused by the cessation of supplies from Iran.

USM previously reported that a sanctioned tanker had delivered diesel fuel from Russia to Syria. The tanker loaded diesel at a major Russian port and headed for Syria, a sign of Moscow’s ability to maintain influence in the country.