A first tanker carrying Russian diesel to the United States under a new import agreement has set sail, the Kremlin said Friday (October 23, 2026), two weeks after President Donald Trump said he struck a deal with President Vladimir Putin despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said earlier this week that the first shipment would amount to 40,000 tons of diesel, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency. 7 and would be the first Russian diesel delivery to the United States since July 2023.
“The first oil tanker has sailed off to customers, and regular supplies will continue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said without elaborating. Marine intelligence firm Kpler said the vessel was signalling it was headed to New York to arrive Nov.
Earlier reporting noted: A tanker carrying Russian diesel is en route to New York after US President Donald Trump announced a deal with Moscow in early October, according to data from the maritime tracking firm Kpler. The abrupt reversal of U.S. sanctions policy on Russia over its invasion of its neighbour was seen as an attempt by Mr. Trump to address high fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections. The import agreement, which Mr. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Mr. Trump’s decision “a weak decision by strong partners.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said each side released 270 prisoners. Ukraine said 270 of its soldiers and civilians were freed, most of them held in captivity since 2022. Earlier reporting noted: It loaded nearly 3,00,000 barrels of diesel at the Russian oil terminal of Primorsk, according to Kpler.
Trump says foresees millions more tons of Russian diesel reaching the U.S. in coming months, is unlikely to make a dent in painfully high prices at the pump or elsewhere, energy policy experts say. Earlier reporting noted: On Wednesday, Russian news agencies cited Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Alexander Novak saying the first shipment of Russian diesel bound for the United States would depart the following day.
