# South Korea has become one of Russia’s biggest fuel suppliers, with some shipments on sanctioned tankers

https://mins.news/en/item/87989

- Meduza, 2026-10-06 12:57 UTC
- World
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/10/06/south-korea-has-become-one-of-russia-s-biggest-fuel-suppliers-some-shipments-are-arriving-on-sanctioned-tankers

> By late summer, South Korea was Russia’s second-largest supplier of petroleum products, The Guardian reported. Tankers carried 176,000 tons of fuel from South Korean ports to Russia’s Far East in July and August, including vessels under British and EU sanctions. Some cargoes were transferred at sea or shipped to Vladivostok despite Japan being listed as the destination. Seoul declined to comment. The report also describes a diplomatic dispute with Kyiv over the transfer of two North Korean soldiers; South Korea’s foreign minister said the apology received fell short of expectations and Seoul would take “firm measures.”

## Related coverage

- [South Korea shipped fuel to Russia via sanctioned vessels, media reports](https://mins.news/en/item/87374) — The Kyiv Independent, 2026-10-06
- [Fuel from South Korea shipped to Russia as Ukraine war continues](https://mins.news/en/item/87197) — The Guardian, 2026-10-05