Fuel is being transported from South Korea to Russia by tankers under sanctions, The Guardian reports.
Experts note that such a move “undermines” Seoul’s public support for Kyiv.
An analysis of port records and vessel-tracking data carried out by the newspaper showed that in July and August, more than 176,000 tonnes of fuel (mostly diesel) were loaded at several South Korean ports onto seven tankers, which made 14 voyages to Russia’s Far East.
Three of these vessels were under UK and EU sanctions.
One received its cargo via a ship-to-ship transfer in South Korean waters — a method that allows the origin of the cargo to be concealed and avoids vessels calling at port terminals.
“It is shocking that tankers under EU sanctions were loaded with fuel in South Korean ports and delivered it to Russia. This undermines the sanctions regime and South Korea’s support for Ukraine,” said Isaac Levi, an analyst at the Finnish think tank CREA (Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air).
It is currently unknown who owned or sold the fuel, as this information is not included in South Korean port records.
The largest carrier vessel — the sanctioned tanker “Layla” — made two voyages from the south-eastern port of Ulsan to Vladivostok (departing on 19 July and 10 August) and transported a total of 57,000 tonnes of diesel fuel. During the first voyage, the crew told South Korean authorities it was heading to Vladivostok, while on the second it declared a course for the Japanese city of Niigata.
Another sanctioned tanker — “Astoria” flying the Russian flag (which is also subject to Australian sanctions) loaded almost 11,000 tonnes of fuel in Ulsan on 1 August, listing Japan as its destination, before sailing to Vladivostok.
A third sanctioned tanker — “Chongchon” — did not enter port at all. In early August, at an anchorage near the South Korean port of Yeosu, it took on about 26,000 tonnes of fuel from the tanker “Celeste I”, which is not subject to sanctions, and then headed to Vladivostok, declaring Singapore as its destination.
The Guardian notes that such actions do not appear to violate South Korean law. Seoul’s own restrictive measures against Russia are focused mainly on export controls for goods such as industrial equipment, electronics and vehicles.
- Seoul has provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid and non-lethal military equipment — including helmets, body armour and demining equipment. In 2023, South Korea pledged $2.3 billion in support, mostly in the form of loans.
- At the same time, South Korea has long sought to balance support for Ukraine with a desire to improve relations with Russia. Throughout the war, Seoul has refused direct arms supplies to Ukraine, adhering to the principle of not providing lethal weapons to countries at war. Moscow, for its part, has shown interest in restoring relations with South Korea, including trade ties.
- Relations between Kyiv and Seoul are now fairly strained. Seoul said Kyiv had breached a confidentiality agreement on the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, reached for their safety. Ukrainian officials, however, deny that any such agreement exists.
- South Korean President Lee Jae-myung even threatened Ukraine with “further measures” if Kyiv does not publicly apologise for releasing the information.