Russian crude oil supplies helped India manage delays in oil shipments after the conflict in West Asia disrupted energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has said. His comments come as India faces pressure over its purchases of Russian oil and continues to emphasise the need for multiple energy suppliers to protect affordable and dependable fuel access for its 1.4 billion people.
Rudenko said existing arrangements between India and Russia had “significantly mitigated” the impact of disruptions to global energy trade. Speaking to Russian news outlet NEWS.ru this week, he described Moscow as a reliable energy partner and said Russia could meet demand from partner countries even in difficult geopolitical conditions.
India’s imports of Russian crude nearly doubled in March 2026 from the previous month following the outbreak of the conflict, reaching 2.25 million barrels per day and accounting for half of the country’s oil purchases, according to the report. Gulf shipments to India reportedly fell after the war disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy trade.
The shift in import patterns highlights the importance of supply diversification for India’s refining and fuel distribution system. The government has maintained that affordable and dependable energy for the country’s population requires access to multiple suppliers. It has also warned that restrictions on oil trade could distort or constrict global energy markets.
Preliminary data from commodity analytics firm Kpler cited in the report put Russian oil shipments to India at about 2.1 million barrels per day in August and around 1.9 million barrels per day in September. These figures indicate that Russian crude remained a significant part of India’s supply mix after the March increase, although the report does not establish how the changing volumes affected domestic fuel prices or refinery operations.
The supply relationship is also tied to wider India-Russia energy cooperation. Rudenko referred to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, which was built in collaboration with Russia, and said another site would soon be allocated for a Russian-designed nuclear power plant. The statement links crude oil trade with a broader partnership spanning both imported fuel and long-term electricity infrastructure.
The arrangement faces continuing geopolitical and trade-related pressure. India is raising concerns with the United States over provisions in the Russia and Iran Sanctions Act that threaten a 100 per cent tariff on purchases of Russian oil. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has also called for measures to restrict Russia’s oil trade under a new US sanctions law.
For India’s urban economy, the immediate issue is the reliability of the energy system that supports transport, industry, construction and household consumption. The next steps will depend on how oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz develop, how sanctions-related measures are applied and whether India’s multiple-supplier strategy can continue without constraining access to affordable crude.
