India’s imports of Russian oil products are poised to hit a record high this month, driven higher by an unusually large inflow of what traders call dirty fuels.

Some 239,000 barrels of refined fuels are expected to arrive from Russia in May, up 81 per cent from April, according to data from intelligence firm Kpler. Should all cargoes arrive by their estimated dates, imports of dirty feedstocks — such as vacuum gasoil — are projected to reach the highest since at least 2017, while fuel oil shipments will climb to a six-month high.

The jump comes after maintenance last month at Reliance Industries Ltd.’s huge Jamnagar refinery curbed domestic fuel output. India’s complex refineries can use fuel oil and so-called feedstocks like vacuum gasoil in secondary units, upgrading them to more valuable products like diesel and gasoline.

Also, India’s imports of Russian crude are on track to total the most in 10 months in May, with inflows continuing to climb after hitting a 14-month low in February as US sanctions disrupted the Russian oil trade.

The increase in both crude and refined fuel inflows means India will likely set a new record for overall oil imports from Russia this month, Kpler data show.

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Published on May 22, 2025