Three tankers with Russian diesel are heading to the US, two of them are under sanctions

Three tankers carrying 140,000 tonnes of Russian diesel fuel are heading to US ports. Two of the vessels are under international sanctions.

This could create legal risks for companies involved in the imports, the Financial Times reports.

The deliveries were made possible after an agreement between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 9, under which Washington temporarily allowed imports of Russian diesel.

According to ship tracking systems, the first tanker, the Agioi Fanendes, carrying 40,000 tonnes of diesel fuel, is due to arrive in New York on November 7. This could be the first shipment of Russian gas oil or diesel fuel recorded by the Kpler platform to the US since July 2023.

The second is the 20-year-old Talisman tanker, which is under US, UK and EU sanctions. The vessel is due to arrive on the US East Coast on November 9.

Another tanker, the Sierra Leone-flagged Leruo, signaled its arrival on the US Atlantic coast on November 11. The vessel is under sanctions by the UK, the EU and Canada.

According to the FT, the Leruo left St Petersburg on October 17. European authorities imposed sanctions on it in 2025 for carrying Russian cargo and using risky practices, including disabling location tracking systems and transshipment of cargo from ship to ship.

However, the tankers’ actual destinations may change.

The Russian diesel deal is ostensibly aimed at reducing fuel prices in the US, which have risen amid the war with Iran. According to the FT, the average price of diesel at US gas stations is $6.34 per gallon (about 3.8 liters) compared to $3.66 a year earlier.

However, the Trump administration’s decision has met with opposition in Congress. A group of US senators has warned banks, port authorities and fuel companies about the possible legal consequences of participating in the import of Russian diesel.

The lawmakers stressed that such operations could become the subject of congressional investigations, and the companies risk facing civil and criminal liability if they violate US law.

At the same time, Hughes Hubbard lawyer Jeremy Paner noted that the US president has the legal right to issue temporary permits for the import of Russian diesel. However, the arrival of vessels under sanctions by other Western countries could create significant difficulties due to the close ties of their financial and maritime systems with the US.

Against the backdrop of the resumption of Russian diesel supplies, the number of calls of food tankers to the Baltic ports of the Russian Federation reached a two-year maximum.

According to ship broker Clarksons, tanker activity in the ports of Ust-Luga, Primorsk and St. Petersburg increased to the highest level since November 2023. From there, diesel fuel is sent to Turkey, Egypt, Brazil and the United States.

At the same time, analysts warn that it may be difficult for Russia to ensure the export volumes stipulated by the agreement with Washington, especially in the event of renewed intensive Ukrainian attacks on refineries.

Earlier, USM reported that the first tanker with Russian diesel fuel left for the United States after the agreement between Putin and Trump.