Inside the murky trade of Russian oil

Global Witness traced the journey of Russian oil from the port of Primorsk to the UK via India, highlighting the use of a 'shadow fleet' of aging tankers and a refining loophole that allows Russian crude to be imported into the UK as refined products. The report identifies the role of Gatik Ship Management and the St Kitts and Nevis ship registry in facilitating this trade, and notes that refineries in Vadinar and Jamnagar process Russian crude for re-export to Western markets, including purchases by Shell and BP.

• Russia's oil exports in 2022 were the highest since 2019, despite Western sanctions, due to the use of a 'shadow fleet' consisting of aging tankers with opaque ownership and corporate structures.
• Gatik Ship Management, an entity linked to India and Dubai, operates a rapidly growing fleet of over fifty vessels with an average age of 17 years, many of which are flagged by a UK-incorporated registry for St Kitts and Nevis.
• A loophole in Western sanctions allows Russian crude oil to be imported into the UK and Europe once it has been refined in third countries, such as India.
• Indian refineries in Vadinar and Jamnagar have significantly increased Russian crude imports; in January 2023, over half of their total crude inputs were Russian, with some refined products subsequently purchased by Shell and BP for the UK market.
• The use of the shadow fleet increases the risk of environmental disasters, as these old vessels often lack sufficient insurance and transit busy waterways like the English Channel.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Inside the murky trade of Russian oil. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/inside-the-murky-trade-of-russian-oil/

Chicago

Global Witness. Inside the murky trade of Russian oil. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/inside-the-murky-trade-of-russian-oil/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Witness |title=Inside the murky trade of Russian oil |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/inside-the-murky-trade-of-russian-oil/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalwitnessndinside, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Inside the murky trade of Russian oil}}, institution = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-fuels/inside-the-murky-trade-of-russian-oil/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }