# India Bought €5.8 Billion of Russian Oil and Fuel in May 2026, Stayed the World's Second-Largest Buyer After China

> A fresh CREA report shows that despite Western sanctions threats and warnings from Trump, India imported about €5.8 billion (roughly ₹56,000 crore) of Russian fossil fuels in May, holding its place as the second-biggest global buyer.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Business · **Published:** 2026-06-14 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/business/bharata-ne-mai-2026-men-rusa-se-56-000-karora-ka-tela-aura-indhana-kharida-china-677 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Russia oil imports, India Russia trade, CREA report, Russian crude oil, Jamnagar refinery, energy security, Western sanctions

Sanctions warnings from US President Donald Trump and several Western capitals have done little to slow India's appetite for Russian energy. Far from cutting back, India kept buying briskly through May 2026, holding on to its spot as the world's second-largest purchaser of Russian fossil fuels. A new report from the European research body Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) confirms the trend.

## How Big the Purchases Were
According to the report, Indian refiners widened their buying, pushing total imports of crude and other fuels from Russia past €5.8 billion — roughly ₹56,000 crore. China remained the single largest destination for Russia's crude exports, taking about 50 percent of them in May. India sat right behind it in second place, with a 36 percent share.

## Crude Leads, but Coal and Products Follow
Crude oil alone accounted for around 83 percent of India's total imports from Russia in May, meaning the bulk of the bill was raw crude. But refiners did not stop there — large-scale purchases of oil products and coal continued alongside. The report puts oil-product imports at €550 million (55 crore euros), while the value of coal imports stood at €429 million (42.9 crore euros).

## An 8 Percent Jump in a Single Month
India's overall crude oil imports climbed a strong eight percent month-on-month. The biggest driver was Russian crude, whose imports rose 21 percent in May. The surge was felt most sharply at Gujarat's refining and industrial hubs. Data shows the Vadinar refinery offloaded 36 percent more Russian oil from tankers in May than in April, while the Jamnagar complex — the largest refining site in the world — recorded a notable 14 percent month-on-month rise in Russian crude arrivals.

## State Refiners Return to the Table
It was not only private players. Public-sector refining companies also stepped up purchases after restarting imports earlier this year. The New Mangalore and Visakhapatnam refineries had halted Russian oil intake at the end of November 2025, but both resumed buying from March. In May, Russian supplies to the New Mangalore refinery grew 13 percent month-on-month, while at Visakhapatnam the increase reached 42 percent.

Odisha's Paradip refinery, meanwhile, took in its largest volume of Russian crude in two years. Together these figures signal that even amid geopolitical tension and sanctions pressure, discounted Russian oil remains a profitable bet for Indian refiners.

## How the Ukraine War Reshaped the Map
This entire shift traces back to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Western sanctions and trade curbs upended the flow of global energy, and in that window India emerged as one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil. By snapping up cheaper Russian crude, Indian refiners have not only lowered their energy costs but also propped up their refining margins and exports of petroleum products.

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