Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has denied reports that it is receiving Russian crude oil shipments, saying it does not expect any deliveries in January and has not received Russian oil cargoes for the past three weeks.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, the company described as “blatantly untrue” a Bloomberg report which claimed that three tankers carrying Russian crude were heading to Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat. The Bloomberg report was based on vessel tracking data from analytics firm Kpler.
“Jamnagar refinery has not received any Russian crude in the past three weeks and is not expecting any deliveries in January 2026,” Reliance said. The company added that vessel tracking signals only indicate potential destinations and should not be treated as confirmation of purchases or deliveries.
Reliance was earlier India’s largest buyer of Russian oil after Moscow began offering deep discounts following the start of the Ukraine war in 2022. India went on to become the biggest buyer of Russian seaborne crude, a move that attracted criticism from Western countries, which imposed sanctions on Russia’s energy sector.
However, tighter sanctions by the US and the European Union have significantly slowed Russian oil flows to India in recent months. According to sources and Kpler data, India’s Russian crude imports fell to around 1.2 million barrels per day in December, a three-year low and nearly 40 percent lower than the peak levels seen in June.
Reuters reported last week that Indian authorities have asked refiners to make weekly disclosures of Russian and US oil purchases. Sources said Russian crude imports could fall below 1 million barrels per day in January, as New Delhi seeks to advance a broader trade deal with Washington.
The pressure has increased after US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on India in August 2025 for importing Russian crude, taking total US levies to 50 percent.
Against this backdrop, Indian refiners, including Reliance, have been adjusting their sourcing strategies. Companies are increasingly turning to supplies from West Asia, Africa and other regions to maintain refinery operations while managing geopolitical and sanctions-related risks.
