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05-12-2025
Bureau Report + Agencies
NEW DELHI: India’s imports of Russian oil may decline for only “a brief period” as Moscow plans to boost supplies, using sophisticated technology to avert the impact of Western sanctions, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
His remarks came ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to New Delhi from Thursday, looking to restore defence and energy ties as the South Asian nation is set to trim its Russian oil purchases this month to at least a three-year low.
Russia’s top buyer of seaborne oil, India has cut crude imports from Moscow under pressure from Western sanctions, particularly by Washington on Moscow’s top oil producers Rosneft, opens new tab and Lukoil, opens new tab.
“There can be, for a very brief period of time, insignificant decreases in the volume of oil trade,” Peskov told Indian journalists, in response to a question about the impact of sanctions.
Russia is the top oil supplier to India, the world’s third biggest oil importer and consumer. Moscow is working to build the “necessary environment” for buyers who seek its oil, Peskov said, speaking by video link organized by Russia’s Sputnik news agency.
“We have deep experience in performing under regime of these illegal sanctions,” Peskov added.
“We have our own technologies in doing that. We will continue to make those technologies more sophisticated should this practice of sanctions continue.”
Trade between Russia and India should be secured from pressure from third countries, he said, adding that payment methods would feature in the leaders’ talks.
Indian refiners, such as Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd., opens new tab, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, opens new tab and HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd, have stopped buying Russian oil.
State-run Indian Oil Corp, opens new tab has placed orders to buy Russian oil from non-sanctioned entities, while Bharat Petroleum Corp is in an advanced stage of negotiations for Russian oil imports.
Russia-backed Indian refiner Nayara Energy, partly owned by Rosneft, is exclusively processing Russian oil after other suppliers pulled back, following British and EU sanctions. Russia wants India to continue to provide support to Nayara to boost its local sale and capacity use.
Reliance Industries Ltd., opens new tab, formerly Russia’s top Indian client, has said it loaded Russian oil cargoes “pre-committed” by October 22, and will process any arriving after November 20 at its refinery geared to domestic supply.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin starts a two-day visit to India from Thursday, pitching for more sales of Russian oil, missile systems and fighter jets in a bid to restore energy and defence ties hit by U.S. pressure on the South Asian nation.
Russia has supplied arms to India for decades, with New Delhi emerging as its top buyer of seaborne oil despite Western sanctions after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but India’s crude imports are set to hit a three-year low this month, after the tightening of sanctions on Russia that coincide with its growing purchases of U.S. oil and gas.
On his first visit in four years to the Indian capital for a summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Putin will be accompanied by his defence minister, Andrei Belousov, and a wide-ranging delegation from business and industry.
“Putin’s visit offers an opportunity for Delhi to reassert the strength of its special relationship with Moscow, despite recent developments, and make headway in new arms deals,” said Michael Kugelman of the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.
