Tankers may deliver nearly 22 million barrels of Russian oil to India next week, which will allow the South Asian country to meet its energy needs due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Indian newspaper The Economic Times reported.
According to the publication, about a dozen tankers carrying Urals crude oil are within India's reach in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
The US Treasury Department has issued a license to India to buy Russian oil, which is already in tankers at sea, for 30 days. The license also covers transactions in petroleum products and the delivery of crude oil loaded on any vessel until March 5. According to a statement by American officials, this decision was taken to relieve pressure on the global oil market against the backdrop of the US and Israeli military operation against Iran.
As the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has stated earlier, ensuring energy security for the country's 1.4 billion people is a top priority for the government. Diversification of energy sources in accordance with objective market conditions and the changing international environment is the basis of the country's strategy and all decisions of India are being made and will be made with this in mind.