Russia’s seaborne crude oil exports are not decreasing, but rather growing, – Klymenko

In September 2025 alone, Russia’s crude oil exports increased from 22 to 23 million tons. Almost all of the increase was provided by Russian ports in the Black Sea.

This was reported by Andriy Klymenko, project manager of the Institute of Black Sea Strategic Studies.

According to the expert, we are talking about Russian crude oil, separated from Kazakhstani.

According to the results of September, the distribution between seaport export regions is as follows:

• Baltic – 47.7% – 11 million tons

• Black Sea – 20.4% – 4.7 million tons

• Far East – 26.1% – 6 million tons

• Arctic – 5.8% – 1.3 million tons.

“In particular, this is a consequence of Ukrainian attacks on refineries, that is, part of the crude oil is not sent for processing, but immediately for export. But at the same time, this shows that all the heated conversations and meetings in Europe and the USA (lasting more than a year) about measures to limit the so-called “shadow fleet”, which does not actually exist, are not working. Let’s hope so, for now,” said Andriy Klymenko.

As previously reported by USM, on the night of October 13, drones of the SBU and Special Operation Forces hit a marine oil terminal in occupied Crimea. The drones hit at least five tanks of the Feodosia marine oil terminal.