India can buy the highest ever crude oil from Russia in June 2026. Energy sector experts say that this month the number of ships (tankers) loaded with Russian crude oil in India has reached a record level. If this pace continues, a new record for oil imports from Russia may be created in June.
American energy expert and chief economist of NGP Energy Capital Management, Anas Alhaji, has claimed that he has never seen such a large number of Russian crude oil tankers at Indian ports before. He also shared a map, in which a large number of ships carrying Russian oil are visible heading towards different ports of India.
As I mentioned in early June, I wouldn’t be surprised if India’s crude oil imports from Russia hit a record high this month. And here we are — Ive never seen so many tankers carrying Russian crude at Indian ports as Im seeing right now.
map form @Kpler pic.twitter.com/VK77zWuWFR
— Anas Alhajji (@anasalhajji) June 29, 2026
Oil import started after Ukraine war
from russia Oil This surge in imports started after the Ukraine war. After the war, many European countries including America had imposed economic sanctions on Russia. After this, Russia started selling its crude oil at a lower price. Taking advantage of this opportunity, India started buying Russian oil in large quantities at discounted prices. India has got many benefits by buying cheap Russian crude oil. This has helped in controlling the cost of petrol and diesel in the country. Besides, the profits of Indian refinery companies have also increased because they are getting crude oil at lower prices.
India became the second largest country
According to a report by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), in May 2026, India was the second largest country in the world to purchase crude oil from Russia. In the month of May, India bought oil and other fuels worth about 5.8 billion euros (about 6.7 billion dollars) from Russia. The share of crude oil alone in this was about 83%, whose value was about 4.8 billion euros.
Apart from this, according to the data of Kpler, a commodity data and analysis company, till now in June, India has imported about 26 lakh barrels (2.6 million barrels per day) of Russian crude oil every day. This is considered to be the highest level till date.
The main reason for this is the ongoing tension in the Strait of Hormuz and the end of America’s exemption on purchasing oil from Russia.
Russian oil supply increased
During this period, the supply of Russian oil has increased in many big refineries of India. These include Gujarat’s Vadinar, Jamnagar, New Mangaluru, Visakhapatnam and Paradip Refinery. The special thing is that the maximum amount of Russian crude oil has reached Paradip Refinery in the last two years. According to the data, India’s total crude oil imports in May increased by 8% compared to the previous month, while the purchase of crude oil from Russia alone increased by 21%.
China is the biggest buyer of Russian oil
Talking about Russia’s oil exports, China was the biggest buyer in May. China accounted for 50% of Russia’s total crude oil exports. India stood second with 36% share. After this, Turkey remained with 6% and European Union (EU) with 5% share. Experts believe that as long as Russia continues to sell oil at discounted prices, India can continue purchasing its crude oil. This will not only help in meeting the country’s energy needs but will also help in keeping the cost of oil import low.
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