The Russian tanker Talisman and the Sierra Leone-flagged Leruo initially listed the US East Coast as their destination but subsequently changed course.
Talisman moved into the Mediterranean, while Leruo redirected towards Brazil. A third vessel, the Malta-flagged Agioi Fanendes, continued across the North Atlantic but changed its destination signal from New York to “for orders”, leaving its discharge port unconfirmed.
A fourth tanker, Beast, which is owned in Seychelles and is under sanctions, left Russia’s Primorsk port in late October and has been signalling “Atlantic”, indicating a possible voyage towards the US East Coast. Its arrival and final destination have not been confirmed.
The diversions come as Al Jazeera reports that no Russian diesel has reached the US under the agreement, nearly a month after it was announced.
Why Trump turned to Putin for diesel
Trump announced the arrangement on October 9 after a telephone conversation with Putin, describing the discussion as successful and promising an immediate release of more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the American and global markets.
He said another 500,000 tonnes would follow in November, with a further 1 million tonnes immediately afterwards, taking the announced volume to more than 1.8 million tonnes.
The agreement came as diesel prices in the US surged amid disruptions to global energy supplies following the US-Israel war on Iran.
The average American diesel price reached $6.27 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association, while Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities had also contributed to pressure on Moscow’s fuel supplies as per Al Jazeera.
Trump blamed Ukraine’s attacks for worsening the diesel shortage and sought to bring additional Russian supplies into the market. For Putin, the arrangement offered an opportunity to restore access to a major Western market and generate export revenue despite restrictions imposed after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The agreement also represented a reversal of the US ban on Russian oil and petroleum product imports introduced in 2022. The Treasury Department subsequently issued a temporary sanctions exemption allowing the relevant Russian diesel transactions until April 7, 2027.
However, Congress’s import ban remains a source of legal uncertainty, with lawmakers and state officials warning companies against handling the shipments.
The Africa connection
The African connection is particularly evident in Leruo and Beast. Leruo sails under the flag of Sierra Leone, although it has been described as Hong Kong-owned, illustrating how African ship registries feature in international petroleum transportation. Beast, meanwhile, is owned by a Seychelles-based company and has been identified as a sanctioned vessel.
Neither ship is carrying diesel produced in Africa. The cargoes were loaded at Primorsk, a major Russian Baltic export port supplied by the country’s refinery network. Their African links are therefore tied to vessel registration and corporate ownership rather than fuel production.
The developments also matter to African fuel markets. Reuters has reported that Russia traditionally exports diesel to destinations including Turkey, Brazil and African countries.
If Russian shipments originally intended for the US are redirected, some could return to established markets, although the final destinations and buyers remain uncertain.
For now, the dispute over the legality of Russian fuel imports, rather than a lack of announced supply, is preventing Trump’s agreement from translating into confirmed deliveries to American buyers.
