Russian fuel shortages boost crude oil shipments to India, Russia supplies over 40%

A continuity of strikes on Russian refineries has left the country with a severe fuel deficit, inadvertently turning it into one of India’s biggest crude‑oil partners. While gasoline exports to India have surged, the larger story is the rise in crude‑oil shipments.

Capgemini‑linked research firm Kapler estimates that India imported about 2.1 million barrels per day of Russian crude in August, down from a record 2.6 million barrels per day seen in June‑July but still representing a dominant share of the Indian oil basket.

Overall, Russian crude now accounts for more than 40 percent of India’s total oil imports, pushing the United Arab Emirates into second place with roughly 611,000 barrels per day, followed by Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nigeria and Brazil.

The shift comes as the Hormuz Strait—through which roughly one‑fifth of the world’s oil normally flows—has been disrupted by regional hostilities, prompting India to lean heavily on Russian supplies to safeguard its energy security.

Despite the dip in daily volumes this month, Russia remains India’s top supplier, underscoring the strategic pivot driven by refinery outages, export bans on refined fuels, and geopolitical realignments in global energy markets.