The key facts

  • Tankers that left Primorsk with a declared destination on the US East Coast changed course — according to Kpler and MarineTraffic
  • Kirill Dmitriev called the reports of a course change fake, and Peskov called the shipment details a commercial secret
  • The Governor of New Jersey and a Senator from Connecticut warned operators of sanctions risks

Tankers change course

Several tankers carrying Russian diesel fuel to the United States have changed course: one headed for Brazil, another for the Mediterranean. This is shown by data from Kpler and the MarineTraffic.com website, cited by Deutsche Welle. The vessels left the Baltic port of Primorsk last month and declared the US East Coast as their destination. According to the Financial Times, another vessel remained in the North Atlantic but changed its destination from New York to the undefined «for orders» — with no discharge port specified.

The Trump-Putin deal and criticism of it

The shipments were the result of an arrangement under which US President Donald Trump last month eased sanctions on Russian oil in exchange for a large batch of diesel fuel for the American market, where diesel prices had risen sharply. The agreement caused shock and criticism in Ukraine and Europe, and also created a logistical problem: sanctions against Russia formally remain in force. At the time of the deal, it was reported that the volume of diesel amounted to only a small share of daily US consumption, meaning it could not noticeably affect prices.

Moscow denies the change of course

The Russian side disputes the reports about the changed routes. On Thursday, Kirill Dmitriev wrote on X: «Fake. The tankers heading to the US continue on their course», attaching a link to the FT article. Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov called the details of the shipments a «commercial» matter that cannot be made public, adding: «All the diesel will find its buyers», without further explanation.

The states oppose the shipments

Although the US Treasury temporarily permitted transactions with Russian diesel, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned port and terminal operators in a letter this week that they must refuse vessels carrying this fuel. «Any attempt to profit from illegal trade in Russian fuel will meet severe penalties», she wrote, accusing the Trump administration of lacking the authority to lift the import ban imposed by Congress more than four years ago. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal warned shipping companies in a letter dated October 27: «No president can unilaterally repeal a law. Trump's license will not free you from legal and moral responsibility».