South Korean ports loaded over 176,000 tonnes of fuel onto sanctioned tankers bound for Russia, Guardian analysis finds
An analysis by The Guardian of port records and vessel tracking data found that in July and August, South Korean ports loaded more than 176,000 tonnes of fuel, mostly diesel, onto seven tankers that made 14 voyages to the Russian Far East. Three of the seven tankers were under UK and EU sanctions. The investigation highlights a contradiction between South Korea's declared political support for Ukraine and its role as a major fuel supplier to Russia, even as the trade does not appear to violate South Korean domestic law.
Key points
- Over 176,000 tonnes of fuel, mostly diesel, were loaded at South Korean ports onto seven tankers making 14 voyages to the Russian Far East in July and August.
- Three of the seven tankers were under UK and EU sanctions; one received its cargo via ship-to-ship transfer in South Korean waters.
- The sanctioned tanker Layla made two voyages from Ulsan to Vladivostok on July 19 and August 10, carrying 57,000 tonnes of diesel; on the second voyage it declared Niigata, Japan as its destination.
- The Russian-flagged, EU- and Australia-sanctioned tanker Astoria loaded nearly 11,000 tonnes in Ulsan on August 1, declared Japan as its destination, but proceeded to Vladivostok.
- The sanctioned tanker Chongchon received about 26,000 tonnes from the non-sanctioned Celeste I at anchorage near Yeosu, declaring Singapore but sailing to Vladivostok.
- South Korea accounted for roughly 31% (112,000 tonnes) of Russia's seaborne petroleum-product imports in August, second only to India, according to Kpler.
- The IEA reported Russian refinery throughput fell to a 20-year low in June, with diesel production down nearly 30% year-on-year, as the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said Moscow was forced to import fuel to sustain its war effort.
Why it matters
South Korea has publicly backed Ukraine with political support, $2.3 billion in pledged assistance (mostly loans), and non-lethal military aid, while its ports have simultaneously become a major supply channel for Russian fuel imports. Three of the seven tankers in the Guardian dataset were already under UK and EU sanctions, pointing to potential enforcement gaps at the loading stage. Russian oil refining and diesel output have fallen sharply — to a 20-year low in June, with diesel production down nearly 30% year-on-year — making imported fuel more important to sustaining the Russian war effort. The trade does not appear to violate South Korean law, exposing a gap between Seoul's political alignment with the sanctions coalition and its domestic legal framework.
What happened
The Guardian's analysis of port records, vessel tracking data and Kpler shipping data found that in July and August South Korean ports loaded more than 176,000 tonnes of fuel, mostly diesel, onto seven tankers that made 14 voyages to the Russian Far East. Three of the seven tankers were already under UK and EU sanctions.
The largest carrier, the sanctioned tanker Layla, made two voyages from Ulsan to Vladivostok on July 19 and August 10, carrying 57,000 tonnes of diesel in total. On its first voyage Layla reported Vladivostok as its destination to South Korean authorities; on the second it declared Niigata, Japan. The Russian-flagged Astoria, sanctioned by the EU and Australia, loaded nearly 11,000 tonnes at Ulsan on August 1, declared Japan as its destination, but proceeded to Vladivostok. The sanctioned Chongchon never entered port; in early August it received approximately 26,000 tonnes from the non-sanctioned Celeste I at an anchorage near Yeosu, declared Singapore, and then sailed to Vladivostok.
According to Kpler, Russian state oil company Rosneft (sanctioned by the UK, US, EU and Australia) and the NNK group, whose owner Eduard Khudainatov and NNK-Oil are under British sanctions, were among the buyers. In August, Russia imported 368,000 tonnes of petroleum products by sea — more than seven times the previous month and the largest monthly volume since the start of the full-scale invasion — with South Korea supplying about 112,000 tonnes, or roughly 31%, second only to India. The identity of the sellers is not recorded in South Korean port documents, and the owners and operators of the four tankers contacted by The Guardian did not respond to requests for comment.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both Ukrainian-language articles in the supplied set republish and adapt The Guardian's investigation, foregrounding the contradiction between South Korea's declared support for Ukraine and its role as a fuel supplier to Russia. They cite the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, which says Moscow has been forced to import petroleum products to sustain its war effort, and they note that the sanctioned buyers include Rosneft and NNK. The Ukrainian coverage also folds in the separate dispute over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea — which Seoul said was meant to remain confidential — as further evidence of strain in the Kyiv–Seoul relationship.
How international sources describe it
The underlying investigation is by The Guardian, a UK-based outlet, whose analysis is built on port records, vessel tracking data, and Kpler shipping data. The Guardian frames the story primarily as a sanctions-enforcement and credibility problem for Seoul, explicitly noting that the fuel trade does not appear to violate South Korean law. It quotes Isaac Levi of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) on the implications for the sanctions regime and South Korea's support for Ukraine, and does not take a position on the North Korean POW dispute beyond reporting Seoul's account.
Where reporting differs
South Korea says Ukraine violated a confidentiality agreement over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, which Seoul said was meant to remain secret. Ukrainian media, citing a source in the Office of the President, report that Kyiv denies any such confidentiality agreement existed; the South Korean administration says that denial "seriously undermines" mutual trust and that the Ukrainian government itself had insisted on confidentiality.
Background
South Korea pledged $2.3 billion in support to Ukraine in 2023, mostly in the form of loans, and has provided humanitarian aid and non-lethal military equipment including helmets, body armour, and demining vehicles, while declining to supply lethal weapons in line with its standing practice. The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has stated that Moscow has been forced to import petroleum products to sustain the Russian war machine. Kpler data identify buyers of the fuel as including Rosneft and the NNK group, whose owner Eduard Khudainatov and NNK-Oil are under British sanctions. The fuel shipments have occurred alongside a separate dispute over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war from Ukraine to South Korea.