A tanker docks in Burgas, Bulgaria
Beating the Russian products ban
Legal and illegal efforts to skirt the prohibition are likely to intensify—especially in Turkey, the Balkans and Eastern Europe
Smugglers are gearing up for a race against law enforcement officials following the introduction of the EU ban on Russia-sourced refined products on 5 February. Yet experts say that there are enough loopholes in the embargo for the big players, such as the Russian government, not to need to rely excessively on smugglers—at least, for the time being. “We are looking closely at Russian exports, particularly of diesel, to work out how the new world is going to look after 5 February,” says Kevin Wright, senior oil analyst at UK-based data analytics firm Kpler. “Russian exports have hit record highs in the past few months as sellers and traders look to maximise volumes ahead of the EU27 embargo.”
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
