Indian refiners cut Russian crude purchases as Ukrainian attacks disrupt flows

Ukraine’s escalating drone campaign against Russian oil infrastructure is disrupting crude flows to India, Moscow’s single largest customer. Indian refiners have been scaling back purchases of Russian crude as attacks on key export terminals and refineries create persistent supply bottlenecks. The disruptions center on the Novorossiysk terminal, which handled roughly 840,000 barrels per day destined for Indian buyers before the strikes intensified. A volatile import picture India’s imports from Russia dropped to approximately 1.14 to 1.24 million barrels per day in December 2025, driven largely by tighter sanctions on major Russian producers like Rosneft and Lukoil. But the picture shifted dramatically by mid-2026, when imports surged to a record average of roughly 2.6 million barrels per day in June, constituting over half of India’s total oil imports. The attacks have reportedly knocked out up to 40% of Russian refining capacity during peak strike periods in 2026. The damage to export terminals and logistics networks means that crude often can’t get out the door efficiently. Russia has found itself in the unusual position of importing gasoline from Indian traders. Moscow ships ra...