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Report: Korean ports used to ship 176,000 tons of fuel to Russia's Far East
Коротко
The Guardian reported on Oct. 6 that more than 176,000 tons of refined fuel left South Korean ports for Russia's Far East in 14 shipments during July and August, carried by seven tankers, three of them under UK or EU sanctions. Some vessels declared Japan or Singapore as their destination before sailing to Vladivostok, and one took on cargo in a ship-to-ship transfer off Yeosu. The reporting says the shipments appear not to breach South Korean law, but a Finnish researcher said they undermine sanctions and South Korea's support for Ukraine.
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More than 176,000 tons of refined fuel were shipped from South Korean ports to Russia's Far East in 14 voyages during July and August, the Guardian reported on Oct. 6, in an investigation carried by Hankook Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun. Seven tankers were used, and three of them are subject to UK or EU sanctions, according to both reports. [ 1 , 2 ]
Both outlets describe shipments in which declared destinations did not match the vessels' actual routes. The tanker Laila left Ulsan twice, on July 19 and Aug. 10, carrying a total of 57,000 tons of diesel and sailing for Vladivostok; on the second voyage it told Korean authorities it was bound for Niigata, Japan. The Russian-flagged tanker Astoria loaded about 11,000 tons at Ulsan on Aug. 1, declared Japan as its destination and headed to Vladivostok. The tanker Cheongcheon did not dock, taking on about 26,000 tons from another tanker in a ship-to-ship transfer off Yeosu, declaring Singapore and then sailing to Vladivostok, Kyunghyang Shinmun reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
Ship-to-ship transfers let vessels obscure the origin of a cargo by avoiding port calls. Hankook Ilbo and Kyunghyang Shinmun both reported that it has not been established who owned or sold the fuel, and the Guardian said Korean port records alone do not identify a seller or owner. The Guardian asked the tankers' owners and managers for comment and received no reply, Hankook Ilbo reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
The shipments coincided with fuel shortages in Russia. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries pushed June refining throughput to its lowest level in more than 20 years and cut diesel output by nearly 30% from a year earlier. Russia's seaborne imports of oil products reached 368,000 tons in August, more than seven times the previous month and the highest monthly figure since the war began in February 2022, with the volume loaded in South Korea at 112,000 tons, or 31% of the total, second after India, according to CREA's analysis of Kpler shipping data. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that buyers are understood to include Russian oil company Rosneft. [ 1 , 2 ]
Isaac Levi, an analyst at the Finnish research institute CREA, told the Guardian that the shipments weaken the sanctions regime and undermine South Korea's support for Ukraine, Kyunghyang Shinmun reporting him calling the use of sanctioned tankers at Korean ports “shocking”. South Korea's foreign ministry told the Guardian that Seoul, as a responsible member of the international community, supports efforts to end the Ukraine war and bring about peaceful recovery, and that it continues to monitor enforcement of export controls on Russia and will take measures under relevant laws when needed. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that the ministry did not answer questions about specific volumes or about sanctioned vessels' use of Korean ports. Britain's Foreign Office declined to discuss specifics and said it cooperates internationally on Russia sanctions. [ 1 , 2 ]
The reports say no breach of South Korean law has been established. The Guardian reported that the exports appear not to violate measures Seoul applies to Russia, noting that South Korea mainly controls exports of industrial machinery, electronics and vehicles, while commercial diesel and jet fuel are not controlled items. An industry ministry official told Hankook Ilbo that refined oil is not subject to reporting and that cargo departing from Korea is not necessarily Korean-made. Kyunghyang Shinmun added that recent friction between South Korea and Ukraine over the disclosure of North Korean prisoner-of-war repatriation to Seoul could add strain to the relationship. [ 1 , 2 ]
Почему это важно
The shipments point to South Korean ports as a possible weak link in the Western sanctions net around Russian fuel imports at a time when Russia is short of refining capacity. They also land amid reported friction between Seoul and Kyiv, so they carry diplomatic as well as enforcement risk, though the documents say no breach of Korean law has been established. The Korean foreign ministry said it continues to monitor enforcement of export controls and will act under relevant laws if needed.
Ключевые факты
- The Guardian reported that more than 176,000 tons of fuel were shipped from South Korean ports to Russia's Far East in 14 voyages during July and August, using seven tankers. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Three of the seven tankers involved are subject to UK or EU sanctions, according to the reports. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The tanker Laila loaded diesel at Ulsan bound for Vladivostok and, on its second voyage, declared Niigata in Japan as its destination to Korean authorities. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The Russian-flagged tanker Astoria left Ulsan with about 11,000 tons of fuel after declaring it was bound for Japan, but sailed to Vladivostok, and the tanker Cheongcheon took on about 26,000 tons in a ship-to-ship transfer off Yeosu before declaring Singapore and heading to Vladivostok. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CREA, a Finnish research institute, found Russia imported 368,000 tons of oil products by sea in August, of which the volume routed through South Korea accounted for 31%, second only to India. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The reports say it has not been established who owned or sold the fuel, and the Guardian said the exports appear not to violate South Korea's own measures, since commercial diesel and jet fuel are not among the items Seoul controls. [ 1 , 2 ]
- South Korea's foreign ministry told the Guardian that Seoul supports international efforts to end the Ukraine war and is continuously monitoring enforcement of export controls against Russia, taking measures under relevant laws when needed. [ 1 , 2 ]
Подтверждено несколькими источниками
- More than 176,000 tons of fuel were shipped from South Korean ports to Russia's Far East in 14 voyages in July and August, using seven tankers. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Three of the tankers used are subject to UK or EU sanctions. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The tanker Laila left Ulsan for Vladivostok twice and declared Niigata, Japan, as its destination on the second voyage. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The Russian-flagged tanker Astoria loaded fuel at Ulsan, declared Japan as its destination and sailed to Vladivostok. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The tanker Cheongcheon took on fuel in a ship-to-ship transfer off Yeosu, declared Singapore and sailed to Vladivostok. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CREA analysis of Kpler shipping data found Russia's August seaborne imports of oil products at 368,000 tons, with the volume loaded in South Korea at 31% of the total, second after India. [ 1 , 2 ]
- South Korea's foreign ministry said Seoul supports international efforts to end the Ukraine war and is monitoring enforcement of export controls on Russia. [ 1 , 2 ]
Пока неясно
- Who owned and sold the fuel shipped from South Korean ports. Both reports say the ownership and seller were not identified, and the Guardian said Korean port records alone do not establish who sold or owned the cargo.
- Whether the shipments breached South Korean law or Western sanctions. The Guardian reported that the exports appear not to violate South Korea's own measures, since commercial diesel and jet fuel are not controlled items, and the reports say no legal breach has been established.
- Which companies bought the imported fuel. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that buyers are understood to include Russian oil company Rosneft, a single-source claim not carried by the other documents.
- How the foreign ministry responded to the specific shipment figures and the use of Korean ports by sanctioned vessels. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that the ministry did not answer questions on specific volumes or on sanctioned vessels' use of Korean ports; only one document states this.
- Comment from the tankers' owners and managers. Hankook Ilbo reported that the Guardian asked the owners and managers for comment and received no reply.
- The fuller content of Seoul Shinmun's coverage. Only the outlet's headline was available; its article text and summary were not readable.
Что пишут местные СМИ
Хронология, местное время
- Hankook Ilbo publishes a report on the Guardian's findings that over 176,000 tons of fuel left Korean ports for Russia's Far East in July and August. [ 1 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes its account, naming Ulsan and Yeosu as loading points and detailing the Laila, Astoria and Cheongcheon voyages. [ 2 ]
- Seoul Shinmun publishes a headline describing the shipments as an emergency supply of Korean diesel to an energy-short Russia. [ 3 ]