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South Korea has emerged as one of Russia's top fuel suppliers, with some shipments arriving on sanctioned tankers, according to The Guardian. By the end of summer, Seoul had become Russia's second-largest petroleum products supplier, with sanctioned tankers used for 14 voyages from South Korean ports to Vladivostok, carrying 176,000 tons of fuel, primarily diesel.

Three of the seven tankers were sanctioned, and one tanker, the Chongchon, transferred its cargo at sea to conceal its origin. Two additional instances involved sanctioned tankers disguised as heading to Japan but ultimately reaching Russia. The exact ownership and sale of the fuel remains uncertain. In August, Russia imported 368,000 tons of petroleum products, with 112,000 tons supplied by South Korea, while India supplied the most fuel to Russia that month.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry did not comment on the shipments or the use of sanctioned tankers but stated that Seoul supports international efforts to end the war in Ukraine and bring about a peaceful recovery. While Seoul has supplied Ukraine with humanitarian aid and non-lethal military equipment, it balances this support against its desire to maintain good relations with Moscow.

The fuel shipments, amid a crisis in Russia due to Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries, could expose Seoul as a "weak link" in Western efforts to pressure the Kremlin.