FT: Two tankers carrying Russian diesel to the US change course, one heads to Brazil

Two of the three oil tankers carrying Russian diesel to the United States have changed course, the British newspaper Financial Times (FT) reported. US President Donald Trump recently and unexpectedly agreed to buy diesel from Russia despite anti-Russian sanctions, in an effort to lower fuel prices ahead of the US elections. The Moscow Times, however, noted that US buyers are so far refusing to accept Russian diesel because of legal threats. The Kremlin says buyers will be found.

A tanker sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone signalled on Monday that it was heading to Brazil instead of the United States. The second tanker, which is 20 years old, did not continue across the Atlantic Ocean and instead entered the Mediterranean Sea. On Wednesday, it was off the coast of Algeria and signalled that it was waiting for instructions. The third vessel carrying Russian diesel is still heading for America.

The British newspaper also drew attention to a fourth tanker, sailing under the flag of the Seychelles, which took on cargo in the Russian port of Primorsk and is heading towards the Atlantic Ocean. This suggests that the coast of the United States could also be its destination.

"The shipments have been sent," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today, according to the TASS news agency, in response to journalists' questions about the diverted tankers.

He said they were commercial vessels and that he therefore could not share details. He assured reporters, however, that all the diesel would find buyers.

On 9 October, Trump announced that Russia would immediately export 300.000 tonnes (2,25 million barrels) of diesel, followed by another 500.000 tonnes in November and a further one million tonnes "right after that". The first vessel carrying Russian diesel bound for the US set sail on 23 October.