The key facts

  • The first deliveries of Russian diesel to the US, expected on November 7, did not take place
  • The tanker Agioi Fanendes slowed from ~20 to ~12 km/h, the Talisman is off Egypt, and the Leruo and Beast are bound for Brazil
  • The Financial Times previously reported importers' concerns over sanctions risks; the Governor of New Jersey opposed the unloading

Deliveries failed to arrive on time

Tankers carrying Russian diesel fuel, dispatched under the arrangements between Moscow and Washington, have so far not delivered confirmed cargoes to US ports. According to data from the vessel-tracking service MarineTraffic, this was reported by Life.ru; a similar picture — that the ships with Russian diesel have still not reached US ports — was also reflected by Gazeta.Ru. The first deliveries were expected as early as November 7, but by the scheduled date no unloading had taken place.

What vessel tracking shows

The tanker closest to the American coast is the Agioi Fanendes, sailing under the flag of Malta. It departed on October 22 from the Russian port of Primorsk with a cargo of approximately 40,000 tonnes of diesel fuel, and its arrival in the New York area was initially expected on November 7. According to tracking data as of November 9, the vessel continues moving westward but has noticeably reduced speed: while at the end of October it was travelling at about 20 kilometres per hour, it is now doing roughly 12 kilometres per hour.

Where the other ships went

Other tankers previously linked to Russian diesel deliveries to the US have changed their routes. The Talisman ended up off the coast of Egypt near Alexandria; the Leruo listed Brazil as its new destination and was in the North Atlantic near the Azores; the tanker Beast also designated Brazil as its destination. Life.ru previously reportedthat the Talisman had headed into the Mediterranean, the Leruo had changed its declared destination to Brazil, and the Agioi Fanendes remained the only one of the first three vessels still moving toward the American coast. A separate question is the fate of the tanker Taurus: according to tracking data, it has already left the US port of Baltimore and is heading to the Netherlands.

Possible reasons

Life.ru links the difficulties with deliveries to concerns among American buyers over sanctions restrictions. The Financial Times previously reportedthat importers and port operators do not want to expose themselves to legal risks, and the Governor of New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, spoke out against unloading Russian diesel. These explanations remain the outlets' versions: sources do not name confirmed reasons for the change of routes.