MOSCOW, Jan 23 (Reuters) – China will increase oil imports from Russia in January, absorbing oil destined for India and Turkey, as tougher Western sanctions force Moscow to redirect oil flows, London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) data and traders said.
The United States and the European Union imposed sweeping sanctions on Russian oil sellers and shippers, including energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil, in late 2025, complicating purchases for global buyers and increasing scrutiny of Russian crude exports.
China is expected to receive nearly 1.5 million barrels per day of Russian oil by sea this month, compared with 1.1 million barrels in December, according to preliminary data from London Stock Exchange Group. Data provided by energy consulting firm Kpler show that Beijing is already the main consumer of ESPO Blend in the Russian Far East, and Russian Urals oil imports also increased to a record 405,000 barrels per day in January, the highest level since mid-2023.
India, previously the largest buyer of Russia’s Ural Sea, cut purchases to less than 1 million barrels per day in December, down from an average of 1.3 million barrels per day last year, since the EU imposed an oil embargo on Moscow in 2022, LSEG data showed. Indian refiners expect oil imports from Russia to remain around 1 million barrels per day in January as supply sources diversify.
Turkey, also a major buyer of Russian oil, reduced imports of Urals crude to about 250,000 bpd in January, compared with an average of 275,000 bpd in 2025, well below the record of 400,000 bpd set in June last year.
“Some Russian Urals cargoes are headed to China as Indian and Turkish buyers have reduced purchases recently,” said a trader involved in Russian oil sales. He added that a glut of Urals barrels was weighing on prices.
Discounts for Urals crude destined for China widened to $12 a barrel below ICE Brent for some cargoes in late 2025, according to two traders active in Asian markets, while the Urals differential to the benchmark currently hovers around minus $10.
Traders added that demand for Urals from India and Turkey, two major exporters of diesel to Europe, has fallen sharply due to the European Union’s ban on the use of Russian-origin crude oil in fuel production.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Susan Fenton)
