India significantly ramped up its purchases of Russian fossil fuels in May, with imports jumping by an estimated 21% month-on-month. This increase cemented India's standing as the world's second-largest buyer of Russian oil, according to a recent report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
Total Russian hydrocarbon imports by India reached approximately €5.8 billion ($6.7 billion) during May. Crude oil constituted the vast majority of these imports, accounting for about 83% of the total, valued at €4.8 billion. Oil products and coal imports from Russia were valued at €550 million and €429 million, respectively.
Refiners Drive Increased Crude Arrivals
The surge in imports was largely driven by increased crude purchases from Moscow by Indian refiners. CREA's analysis showed India's total crude import volumes rose 8% month-on-month in May, with Russian crude imports being a primary factor.
Several major refining centers across India reported substantial increases in Russian crude arrivals. The Vadinar refinery in Gujarat saw a 36% rise in volumes unloaded compared to April, while deliveries to the Jamnagar refining complex increased by 14%. State-run refiners also expanded their purchases, with the New Mangalore and Visakhapatnam refineries continuing to buy Russian oil after restarting imports in March, following a halt in late 2025. New Mangalore's Russian crude deliveries climbed 13% month-on-month in May, and Visakhapatnam's imports soared by 42%. The Paradip refinery in Odisha also recorded its highest volume of Russian crude in two years, underscoring the ongoing appeal of discounted Russian barrels for Indian processing plants.
Russia Remains a Key Supplier Amidst Global Shifts
India emerged as a crucial buyer of Russian oil following Western sanctions and trade restrictions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Indian refiners have consistently leveraged discounted Russian crude to offset higher global energy costs, simultaneously improving refining margins and boosting exports of petroleum products.
These latest figures indicate that Russian oil continues to hold a significant share in India's crude import portfolio, even as New Delhi works to diversify its energy sources from regions like West Asia, Africa, and the United States.
Global Distribution of Russian Crude Exports
The CREA report also provided a broader view of Russia's crude exports in May. China remained the top buyer, purchasing 50% of Russia's crude. India followed with 36%, while Turkiye accounted for 6%, and the European Union for 5%.
“In the prior three months, 39 per cent of the STAR refinery's crude oil feedstock and 15 per cent of the Jamnagar refinery's feedstock came from Russia,” CREA noted in its report.
Russian-Origin Fuels Reach Sanctioning Countries
Despite the EU's ban on imports of oil products made from Russian crude, which took effect in January 2026, the report highlighted that ten shipments of such products were unloaded at EU ports in May. Refineries in India, Turkiye, Brunei, and Georgia that process Russian crude exported €641 million worth of oil products to sanctioning countries during the month. These importers included the EU (€174 million), Australia (€275 million), the United States (€147 million), and New Zealand (€45 million). CREA estimated that €214 million worth of these specific products had been refined from Russian crude, with exports to the United States originating from facilities like Reliance Industries' Jamnagar refinery and Turkiye's SOCAR-owned STAR refinery.