An aerial view shows the oil tanker named Boracay (also called Pushpa), a vessel being investigated by French authorities and suspected of belonging to the so-called "shadow fleet" involved in the Russian oil trade, off the coast of the western France port of Saint-Nazaire, France, October 2, 2025. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
(Bloomberg) – A tanker carrying diesel from India has moored in Europe’s largest port, a notable arrival after some traders had expressed caution about falling foul of new sanctions on buying fuel made from Russian crude.
The Proteus Bohemia, carrying about 100,000 tons of diesel, entered the port of Rotterdam on Monday, according to a port report and ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. It’s the first petroleum fuel cargo from India to arrive in the key Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp oil-trading hub since the European Union imposed sanctions on imports made from Russian crude.
The vessel doesn’t appear to have yet discharged, ship-tracking data show.
While some middlemen had said that a caution-first approach is being taken toward any supplies that could breach sanctions that kicked in on Jan. 21, the Proteus Bohemia’s arrival suggests at least a degree of confidence in bringing in barrels from India — historically a major user of Russian crude. The appetite to import Indian fuel matters because the nation was the third-largest supplier of seaborne diesel and jet fuel cargoes to the EU last year.
The tanker loaded in mid-January at the Indian port of Sikka, which is used to export fuels produced at Reliance Industries Ltd.’s enormous Jamnagar facility, Vortexa data show. The vessel is chartered by Reliance and reached northwest Europe by sailing around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, according to Vortexa.
Reliance didn’t reply to an email seeking comments on Monday.
The sanctions are an attempt to prevent Russian hydrocarbons coming into the bloc through the “back door.” Official EU guidance advises operators to be particularly cautious about shipments from India, Turkey and China, given those nations’ imports of Russian crude since Moscow’s war with Ukraine began.
Although EU rules ban imports of petroleum products made using Russian crude, a refinery can process Russian oil and send fuel to the bloc, as long as the product comes from a “non-Russian oil” production line, according to official guidance.
Reliance last year said it would stop processing Russian oil at one part of its huge Jamnagar complex. From Dec. 1, all petroleum product exports from the SEZ refinery — which is part of the Jamnagar facility — will be made from non-Russian crude, it said.
Although the Proteus Bohemia is the first petroleum fuel cargo from India to reach the ARA hub since the sanctions took effect, at least one other shipment has already discharged into the EU. Earlier this month, the Liwa-V delivered jet fuel from India into Italy.
© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.
This article contains reporting from Bloomberg, published under license.
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Chinese refiners are snapping up Russian oil that India is shunning, helping Moscow to overcome a dip in purchases by the country that’s normally its biggest buyer of seaborne barrels.
India temporarily extended permission for four Russian insurers to cover tankers calling at its ports, as the government seeks to sustain crude imports while also managing US pressure to end shipments from Moscow.
New Zealand has imposed its largest-ever maritime sanctions package against Russia, designating 100 vessels linked to the country’s “shadow fleet” and lowering the price cap on Russian crude to $44.10 per barrel. The sweeping move significantly expands Wellington’s enforcement reach and aligns with broader international efforts to curb Moscow’s oil revenues.
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