Third tanker carrying Russian diesel unexpectedly turned back before reaching US, - Bloomberg
The tanker Agioi Fanendes, fitted with a Russian diesel engine and en route to the USA as part of the ‘diesel agreement’ with the Russian Federation, unexpectedly changed course approximately 740 km from New York.
Bloomberg reports this, citing port documents and vessel tracking data, according to Censor.NET.
A turnaround in the Atlantic
According to the agency, the vessel, which is carrying around 40,000 tonnes of ultra-low-sulphur diesel, has begun to move away from the east coast of the US and has been sailing in a zigzag pattern since Monday, 9 November.
At the end of October, it set sail from the Russian port of Primorsk on the Baltic Sea and initially gave New York as its destination, but later changed this to ‘awaiting further instructions’.
Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Ltd., the company operating the tanker, told Bloomberg that the vessel is proceeding "in accordance with instructions, as the port of unloading has not yet been confirmed".
The tanker was one of the first three vessels to set sail from Russia to the US with Russian diesel on board. As the FT reported, the other two vessels — the Talisman and the Leruo — have already changed course and are no longer heading for US ports either.
The US-Russia diesel deal and threats against Ukraine
- On 9 October, US President Donald Trump stated that he had spoken with the Russian dictator Putin, with whom he had agreed on the supply of diesel fuel from Russia to markets in the US and around the world.
- According to him, Russia will "immediately" supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the US and global markets, a further 500,000 tonnes during November, and another million tonnes "immediately afterwards".
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The US Department of the Treasury has announced that, on Trump’s instructions, the Office of Foreign Assets Control is immediately issuing a temporary general licence to permit the supply of Russian diesel fuel to the global market.
- In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Russia’s authorisation to sell petroleum products as an "investment in war" and called on the US to hold firm talks with Moscow and impose sanctions under the Lindsey Graham Act.
- Axios reported that, during talks in Miami, US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner allegedly warned the Ukrainian side that access to US intelligence might be cut off if Ukraine continued to carry out strikes on Russian oil refineries.
- On 11 October, President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine would be prepared to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
- On the same day, US President Donald Trump announced the start of an energy truce between Ukraine and Russia.
- In a comment to Axios, Zelenskyy said that US President Donald Trump’s announcement of the start of an "energy truce" came as a surprise to the Ukrainian side.
- The President later stated that Ukraine was prepared to refrain from striking at Russia’s energy sector, provided that Russia took similar steps.
