A Russian oil tanker that was initially headed to China changed its destination and was heading towards India in the South China Sea. The action is a response to an energy crunch in all countries, which was instigated during the war between the US and Iran.
Russian Oil Tanker Diverts to India
The ship-tracking data indicate that the Aframax tanker Aqua Titan will reach the port of New Mangalore on March 21 with a cargo of Urals crude of Russia.
The ship had loaded the oil at a port in the Baltic Sea in late January and her first destination was the Chinese port of Rizhao.
Nevertheless, the tanker stopped midway in March in the Southeast Asian waters and started heading towards India. During a press-briefing, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal did not validate the development.
#Russian Crude oil vessel, ‘#AquaTitan‘, changed destination from #China to #India.
7 such tankers have changed destination to India.
It is set to arrive in New Mangalore on March 21 with its Urals cargo#ModiHaiToMumkinHai #Modi #IndiaRussia #Oil #IranWar pic.twitter.com/jazadx8M1E— The RIGHT Indian (@TheRIGHTIndians) March 18, 2026
Aqua Titan Heads to India
The course shift coincided with the period when the United States enabled India to augment its acquisition of Russian crude oil, to overcome the energy crisis, which Iran had sent into the market by closing its Strait of Hormuz, during its war against Israel and the US.
More than 20 per cent of the global oil and liquefied natural gas reserves are transited through Strait of Hormuz.
Indian refiners rushed down to buy more supplies as per the market statistics, after the concession, they have already bought nearly 30 million barrels of Russian oil in a week.
The purchasing wave indicates the Indian attempt to counter the declining supplies by the traditional Middle Eastern suppliers.
According to energy intelligence company Vortexa Ltd. at least seven Russian crude tankers have already changed their destiny during their transit in China to India over the past few weeks.
The major refiners in all parts of India are currently aggressively pursuing Russian crude cargoes.
India ramps up Russian Oil buying
In yet another event, an additional tanker that, which is transporting crude in the area has also changed its route towards India.
The Suezmax tanker Zouzou N., which carries Kazakh CPC Blend crude, has just made signs of the Indian west coast port of Sikka as its next stop with an estimated arrival date of March 25, according to ship-tracking data.
This tanker was going back and forth in waters off Rizhao in China, though first heading for Novorossiysk on the Black Sea in Russia and then returning in early March and changing its cargo to India.
Indian vessels permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz
In spite of the strain, there are Indian vessels which have been able to sail through the passage. The Indian-flagged Nanda Devi came into the Vadinar port on Tuesday in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat with 46,500 metric tonnes of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to undergo ship-to-ship transfer at the anchorage.
The ship passed the Strait of Hormuz previously with another Indian flagged LPG ship, Shivalik. Both ships cruised through the sensitive waterway successfully during the weekend, according to the government.
When Shivalik arrived in India on Monday, Nanda Devi anchored at Vadinar on Tuesday.
The secure arrival of the two ships is good news, and India keeps a close check on the security situation in the Persian Gulf, which is an energy import hub for the country.
