World
India Emerges As Ukraine's Top Diesel Supplier In July, Claims Oil Analytics Firm
An oil tanker (Representative image via Wikimedia).
India emerged as Ukraine's largest diesel fuel supplier in July, a report by NaftoRynok, a Ukrainian oil market analytics firm, has claimed.
This comes as President Donal Trump-led administration in the United States has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, comprising an initial 25 per cent reciprocal tariff plus an additional 25 per cent levy for New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil.
India Takes Leading Position in Ukrainian Fuel Market
According to data from NaftoRynok, India supplied 15.5 per cent of Ukraine's diesel fuel imports in July 2025, making it the country's top supplier for the month.
The average daily volume of Indian diesel imports reached approximately 2,700 tons, representing one of the highest indicators for 2025.
This marks a dramatic shift in Ukraine's energy supply chain.
From January to July 2025, India's share in Ukraine's diesel supply structure reached 10.2 per cent - more than five times higher than the 1.9 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.
Supply Routes and Regional Competition
The oil market analytics firm claimed that Indian-origin fuel primarily enters Ukraine through tanker deliveries along the Danube River from Romania.
Some supplies also continue to flow through the Turkish OPET terminal in Marmara Ereğlisi port, despite partial sanctions affecting this channel.
Following India in July's supply rankings were:
Slovakia: 15 per cent
Turkey: 12.4 per cent
Lithuania: 11.4 per cent
Other countries: 32.2 per cent
Notably, Swedish diesel exports from Preem facilities to Ukraine have reached peak levels since Russia's full-scale invasion, with record volumes arriving via Poland from Denmark, accounting for 4 per cent of total July imports.
India's Strategic Response
Despite US pressure, India has maintained its energy procurement strategy, and is continuing to import significant volumes of Russian crude oil, which is then refined and part of it is potentially re-exported as petroleum products by some refiners in the country.
The situation reflects India's constrained energy choices, as the country was previously forced to halt oil imports from Iran and Venezuela following earlier US sanctions and tariff threats.
Economic and Geopolitical Implications
The data also reveals a complex paradox in global energy flows: while the US penalises India for buying Russian oil, Indian refineries are simultaneously becoming a crucial diesel supplier to war-torn Ukraine.
This highlights the interconnected nature of global petroleum markets and the challenges of implementing energy sanctions effectively.
