Turkey has significantly reduced its imports of Russian Urals oil in November 2025. This is due to the intensified sanctions policy of Western countries regarding the energy sector of the Russian Federation, as well as the desire of Turkish refineries to diversify their sources of raw materials. After the onset of the full-scale war and the cessation of purchases by European countries, Turkey became one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, second only to India among maritime importers of Urals.
This is reported by Business • Media
Turkey Chooses New Oil Suppliers
In November, imports of Russian Urals oil to Turkey decreased by 100,000 barrels per day compared to October. It is worth noting that in June of this year, Urals imports reached a multi-month high of nearly 400,000 barrels per day. The main factors for the reduction in purchases were both external pressure and the upcoming EU ban on the import of fuel made from Russian oil, which will come into effect at the end of January 2026. As a result, Turkish companies are increasing imports of alternative grades, including Kazakh CPC Blend and KEBCO, as well as Iraqi Basrah.
India Seeks Alternatives to Russian Oil
In response to new U.S. sanctions, Indian refineries have begun purchasing crude oil from Guyana. This marks the first such deal since 2021, and new shipments of oil are expected to arrive in India in January 2026. Thus, India demonstrates its intention to replace Russian supplies and reduce dependence on energy resources from the Russian Federation.
At the same time, according to information from Ukrainian intelligence, Russia, along with Vietnam, has developed a scheme to circumvent price restrictions on the export of Russian oil. The countries have entered into a series of agreements that allow for the creation of subsidiaries in third countries, paving the way for the export of energy resources under the guise of Vietnamese products and concealing their true origin.
“It is particularly noteworthy that the agreement stipulates a minimum selling price for oil not lower than $75 per barrel, which is significantly above the price ceiling of $47.6 per barrel that EU countries implemented in July 2025,” intelligence officials pointed out.