Sanctioned Tankers Carrying Russian Diesel Set to Arrive at US Ports

Three tankers carrying Russian diesel are heading to U.S. ports, including one sanctioned by Washington and another blacklisted by European authorities.

Together, the vessels hold roughly 140,000 tonnes of fuel.

Their scheduled November arrivals would bring the first deliveries authorized under President Donald Trump’s October 9 agreement with Vladimir Putin to exempt Russian diesel from sanctions.

The arrangement is intended to ease fuel prices.

However, the involvement of sanctioned ships adds legal complications for banks, port operators and distributors already facing warnings from Congress.

Two Sanctioned Vessels

Talisman, a Russian tanker built 20 years ago, is subject to U.S., U.K. and EU sanctions. Tracking information places its expected arrival on the U.S. East Coast on November 9.

Leruo, owned in Hong Kong and registered in Sierra Leone, has indicated an expected arrival on the U.S. Atlantic coast on November 11. The vessel is sanctioned by the EU, U.K. and Canada.

It departed St. Petersburg on October 17 and was off Norway in the North Sea on Monday.

European authorities sanctioned it in 2025 over Russian cargo movements, including disabling its tracking equipment, transferring cargo between ships, and breaching the G7 oil price cap.

The third vessel, the Greek-owned Agioi Fanendes, is expected in New York on November 7 with 40,000 tonnes of diesel.

If that cargo is unloaded as indicated, it would mark the first Russian diesel or gasoil delivery to the U.S. recorded by commodities tracker Kpler since July 2023.

Vessel destinations and arrival estimates can change, however, and tracking signals are not always reliable.

Congress Warns Businesses

Senior Democrats and Republican Senator Thom Tillis wrote on Monday to the heads of American banks, port authorities and fuel distributors, warning that participation could trigger investigations.

“Any importation of Russian diesel into the US raises significant legal questions and may be subject to legal action, as well as congressional investigations,” the lawmakers said.

They also warned of potential civil and criminal liability for unlawful imports and argued that the arrangement would channel money into Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Jeremy Paner, a partner at Washington law firm Hughes Hubbard, said Trump had the authority to issue the temporary import license.

However, handling a ship sanctioned by the EU, U.K. and Canada would be “highly problematic” because those jurisdictions’ financial systems are closely connected to American shipping and port services.

An oil trader told the Financial Times that limited cargo volumes and complicated legal requirements would deter most large companies.

Price Relief Faces Supply Constraints

Washington prohibited Russian oil and petroleum product imports in March 2022 and joined the G7 price cap on Russian diesel exports in February 2023.

The policy reversal comes as the Iran war and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries squeeze diesel supplies.

Average U.S. pump prices have reached $6.34 a gallon, compared with $3.66 a year earlier.

Trump said the agreement would initially release 300,000 tonnes onto the global market, followed by millions more.

The three vessels are scheduled to reach American ports after the November 3 midterms.

Shipbroker Clarksons has recorded the busiest period for product-tanker calls at Russia’s principal Baltic ports since November 2023.

Analysts nevertheless question whether Moscow can sustain the promised exports if Ukrainian refinery attacks intensify.