en.Wedoany.com Reported - According to three informed sources, Russia is about to import a shipment of aviation fuel originating from Japan via traders, in response to a fuel crisis triggered by Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure. Two of the sources said that at least 200,000 barrels of aviation fuel are expected to be loaded from Chiba, Japan, in the first half of July, first shipped to South Korea, with multiple traders involved in the transaction chain. The cargo may then be transferred to another tanker via ship-to-ship transfer near Yeosu Port, South Korea, before heading to Russia, though the final destination has not been confirmed.

The sources declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak to the media. Russia's Energy Ministry did not respond to a request for comment, and South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kpler vessel tracking data shows that Russia appears to have conducted similar shipments before: in February 2022, it imported 22,000 barrels of aviation fuel from Yeosu, South Korea, delivered to Vladivostok in the Far East. The fuel crisis triggered by Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries and oil depots is affecting the daily lives of Russians, with Moscow imposing restrictions on fuel purchases and farmers warning they may be unable to harvest crops. Kpler data also shows that Russia's aviation fuel exports have fallen to about 13,000 barrels per day this year, mainly to Turkey, compared with about 30,000 barrels per day last year.