Four oil tankers carrying Russia’s Urals crude are currently stranded off the coast of western India, as local refiners wait for directions from the government following new pressure from President Donald Trump. The vessels—Achilles, Elyte, Destan, and Horae—loaded their cargo in late June, but have yet to dock, with plans disrupted by fresh sanctions and tariff threats out of Washington. According to reporting from Bloomberg , the ships are sitting off Jamnagar, close to Sikka port, which serves Reliance Industries Ltd. and Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. Trump’s White House announced this week that it was slapping new import duties on India in response to its continued purchase of Russian oil. That announcement came after the European Union issued another wave of penalties targeting Russia last month. The administration also warned that further penalties could follow if India doesn’t scale back those oil imports. India orders refiners to find alternatives as Trump escalates Achilles and Elyte, both Aframax-class tankers, were scheduled to discharge at Sikka on August 2 and 3. Each ship can carry around 700,000 barrels, and both loaded cargo at Primorsk and Ust Luga, key Russian export terminals. Both vessels have already been sanctioned by the EU and UK, adding further risk for Indian refiners caught in the middle. Following the announcement from Trump’s administration, New Delhi directed refiners to come up with new plans for sourcing oil. Government officials have asked the companies to share strategies for securing crude from countries not targeted by sanctions. The instruction signals that India is trying to avoid being directly hit by Trump’s unspecified future penalties. Destan and Horae, also Aframaxes, are floating farther from shore with Urals crude in their tanks. They picked up cargo between June 24 and July 1, based on ship-tracking information. Destan, like Achilles and Elyte, is under EU and UK sanctions. It’s expected to reach Sikka soon. Horae, on the other hand, has not been sanctioned by any major Western government. But its destination is still unclear, and the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s evolving position on Russia is forcing all players to stay cautious. Indian officials are watching closely to see if Washington moves to expand its sanctions framework further. The growing concern among refiners stems from Trump’s remarks delivered at the White House on Thursday afternoon. When asked about the situation, Trump said his foreign envoy, Steve Witkoff, would soon be heading to Russia. “He’s going to Russia, believe it or not,” Trump told reporters, revealing the trip publicly for the first time. Witkoff is currently in the Middle East discussing the conflict in Gaza, but Trump said the envoy will shift his focus to Moscow as part of the president’s push to end the war in Ukraine. Witkoff last visited Russia in April, when he held talks with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. Those discussions did not result in any deal. Trump warns of more sanctions, doubts their impact Tensions have since escalated. Trump has grown frustrated with Putin and was blunt when asked about Russia’s latest attacks on Kyiv. “I think it’s disgusting what they’re doing. I think it’s disgusting,” Trump said, referring to missile and drone barrages launched by Moscow this week. He confirmed plans for new sanctions and repeated his earlier threat to impose them if Russia didn’t commit to a peace deal by the end of the week. But he also questioned how effective they would be. “Yeah, we’re going to put sanctions,” Trump said. “I don’t know that sanctions bother him. You know, they know about sanctions. I know better than anybody about sanctions and tariffs and everything else. I don’t know if that has any effect, but we’re going to do it.” The uncertainty around how far Trump is willing to go has left Indian refiners in a holding pattern. The four Russia-linked tankers near India now represent more than 2.8 million barrels of oil waiting for instructions. For now, the cargo remains onboard, and no final decisions have been made. Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.
