Reliance says not received any Russian oil in three weeks, none expected in Jan

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), India’s largest buyer of discounted Russian crude, has completely halted imports from Russia, a move that comes amid growing pressure from the United States and strict European Union sanctions targeting Moscow’s energy revenues.

The company said on Tuesday that it has not received any Russian crude oil at its Jamnagar refinery for nearly three weeks and does not expect any deliveries in January, effectively taking Russian oil imports to zero.

Reliance began scaling down its reliance on Russian crude in November. On November 20, 2025, the company halted the use of Russian oil at its export-only Special Economic Zone (SEZ) refinery at Jamnagar to comply with EU sanctions that bar the import and sale of fuels made from Russian crude. From December 1, all exports from the SEZ refinery were shifted to non-Russian crude.

Before this phase-out, Reliance was purchasing nearly half of the 1.7–1.8 million barrels per day of discounted Russian crude shipped to India, translating to roughly 800,000–900,000 barrels per day at its peak. The oil was processed at Jamnagar and exported as refined fuels to markets including the European Union and the United States.

Following the November decision, Russian crude intake was progressively reduced. Industry sources said volumes fell sharply through late November and early December before stopping entirely, with no Russian barrels received in the past three weeks.

On Tuesday, Reliance also dismissed a Bloomberg report claiming that three tankers carrying about 2.2 million barrels of Russian Urals crude were headed for Jamnagar. Calling the report “blatantly untrue,” the company clarified that the Jamnagar refinery had neither received such cargoes nor expected any in January. Industry sources said the shipments were likely meant for BPCL’s Bina refinery, noting that the Sikka port also services non-Reliance companies.

The timing of Reliance’s complete exit from Russian crude coincides with a renewed warning from Washington. US President Donald Trump on Sunday said the United States could impose higher tariffs on India if New Delhi fails to curb purchases of Russian oil, signalling a tougher stance from the US on countries continuing to buy Russian energy.

India had emerged as the world’s second-largest buyer of Russian seaborne crude after the Ukraine war began in 2022, benefiting from deep discounts. However, Western nations have repeatedly argued that such purchases help sustain Russia’s war effort by keeping energy revenues flowing.

Reliance’s decision to cut Russian crude imports to zero marks a significant shift in India’s oil trade pattern and reflects the increasing impact of geopolitical pressure on commercial energy decisions.