Ukraine Monitoring 8 Tankers Carrying Russian Diesel Potentially Bound For US
by Alex Raufoglu · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · JoinWASHINGTON -- Ukrainian authorities are monitoring eight tankers carrying more than 300,000 tons of Russian diesel fuel that could be bound for the United States, Ukrainian government sources told RFE/RL on November 3.
Seven of the vessels have declared the United States as their destination, while the eighth, the Greek-flagged Athina M., is suspected of making a similar voyage.
Four tankers -- Leruo, Primorye, Manta, and Feliks -- are subject to European Union, British, and Ukrainian sanctions, according to Ukrainian monitoring data, the sources said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
On October 9, the US Treasury Department announced a temporary general license authorizing transactions related to the supply of Russian diesel to global markets in an attempt to ease price pressures.
US President Donald Trump said he had agreed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to release millions of tons of Russian diesel over three months for use in the United States and global markets.
The vessels named by the Ukrainian sources loaded their cargoes at Russian ports in October, primarily at Primorsk on the Baltic Sea. Their estimated arrival dates to the United States range from November 7 to November 18.
US Groups Track 13 Ships
Two US-based advocacy organizations, the American Coalition for Ukraine and Razom for Ukraine, confirmed they are tracking 13 vessels that could deliver Russian diesel to US ports this week.
The groups identified the Taurus and Agioi Fanendes as the two ships most likely to be carrying Russian fuel.
The Taurus reportedly carries Russian diesel, although no cargo manifest has confirmed its contents. It stopped near the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina, on November 1, before returning to sea the following day. There is no evidence it unloaded cargo.
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The Agioi Fanendes is believed to carry about 40,000 tons of Russian ultra-low-sulfur diesel, but its discharge port remains unknown. The groups said they had identified no US buyer or terminal.
The Ukrainian government sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, put its cargo at 35,700 tons and said it was sailing west through the Atlantic, with an estimated arrival date of November 7.
The advocacy groups said they were also tracking 11 additional vessels based on reported cargoes or their positions, adding that the number could increase.
Experts Warn Of Legal Risks
Eugene Goncharov, policy director at the American Coalition for Ukraine, told RFE/RL that importing Russian diesel would make little economic sense for the United States while providing revenue to Moscow.
"The diesel deal is absurd in every sense of the word," Goncharov said, arguing the shipments would not lower prices for American consumers.
He also noted the United States is itself a diesel exporter.
"We're very concerned about the precedent it sets," he said, adding he welcomed efforts by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Gregory Meeks to close loopholes in existing legislation.
John Herbst, a former US ambassador to Ukraine and now a senior director at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, said he believed the shipments would probably reach the United States unless a new obstacle emerged.
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"This is a deal Trump has already engineered," Herbst told RFE/RL. "Barring some new obstacle to the delivery of that diesel, I think it will be delivered.”
However, he said, potential buyers could face legal consequences under the 2022 legislation banning Russian energy imports.
Herbst cited warnings from US Senator Richard Blumenthal and said companies considering purchasing the fuel would have to weigh the possibility of legal action, even if the administration had authorized the transactions.
New Jersey Warns Ports
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has warned port officials and terminal operators that accepting Russian diesel could violate federal law and expose them to civil and criminal penalties.
In a November 2 letter, Sherrill said neither Trump nor Treasury Department officials had blanket authority to waive the congressional ban on Russian energy imports, adopted in April 2022 following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
She pledged to use legal and regulatory measures to prevent New Jersey ports from receiving the fuel.
"New Jersey will not stand by while Donald Trump supports Vladimir Putin at the expense of Americans," Sherrill said in a statement, urging operators to turn away tankers carrying Russian fuel.
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Dispute Over US Authorization
The controversy centers on the relationship between the 2022 Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act and Treasury's General License 135, which authorizes transactions involving Russian-origin diesel, including its importation into the United States, through April 7, 2027.
The 2022 law prohibits Russian energy imports and allows the ban to be lifted only if the president certifies Russia has agreed to withdraw its forces and cease hostilities in Ukraine. Any termination is subject to a 90-day waiting period during which Congress can block it.
Lawmakers from both parties have questioned whether the Treasury authorization conflicts with the congressional ban. A bipartisan group of senators, including Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, and John Curtis, has said the imports violate the law. Tillis said Trump "may be" breaking the ban.
The Trump administration has defended the authorization. A White House spokeswoman said the arrangement was intended to increase supply and lower fuel prices for American consumers.
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Herbst said allowing Russian diesel into the US market would undermine Washington's broader interests in Ukraine.
"This is a serious policy mistake because our interests, American true interests, are making sure that Putin's aggression in Ukraine fails, and this makes it easier for Putin to continue that aggression," he told RFE/RL.
He added that the controversy was deepening doubts in Kyiv and European capitals about Washington's reliability as a security partner.
"There are doubts not just in Kyiv but in other European capitals about the reliability of the United States to perform as it has since the end of World War II," he said.
Oil and gas revenues are a major source of funding for the Kremlin. Russia's 2026 budget projected approximately 8.92 trillion rubles ($125 billion) in such revenue, according to figures cited by the advocacy groups.
Ukraine Monitoring 8 Tankers Carrying Russian Diesel Potentially Bound For US
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