BRUSSELS (Realist English). In July, EU countries increased imports of diesel fuel from Russia by 22% compared to July 2021, which underscores the bloc’s dependence on Russian energy resources, the Financial Times reports, citing the Vortexa, a tanker tracking group.
In July, Europe imported about 700 thousand barrels of fuel from Russia. This volume is more than in June of this year, and 22% more than in July of last year.
This dynamic highlights the EU’s increasing dependence on Russian energy resources in recent years. Diesel fuel imports from Russia account for more than half of the total imports to the region. It is used by road transport groups, car owners and manufacturers.
The increase in import volumes occurs after a few months of the entry into force in February of a full embargo on seaborne crude oil transportation from Russia. About 15% of the total diesel fuel consumption in the block is provided by Russian imports.
As a sign of concern about global energy security, in July the EU eased sanctions against Russian state-owned enterprises, in particular Rosneft. Thus, European companies were allowed to participate in transactions with them on crude oil destined for third countries.
