According to Bloomberg, six Russian tankers carrying about five million barrels of Sokol oil were blocked in an attempt to enter Indian ports. Vessel tracking service reported a ban on entry.
Of the five vessels owned by Sovcomflot, the tanker NS Century stopped south of Sri Lanka on November 16 and was joined by two more vessels over the past week. All of them were bound for the port of Vadinar. Also, three other vessels - Krymsk, Nellis and Liteiny Prospekt - failed to reach their destinations, including the port of Paradip on India's east coast. These tankers were carrying crude oil from fields off the east coast of Sakhalin Island in the Far East.
Not long ago, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) updated its price control guidelines for Russian crude oil shipped by sea. Now, suppliers from the G7 countries and Australia must receive confirmation from their counterparties every time Russian oil is loaded or shipped. This is an additional measure to control compliance with sanctions.
Recall that earlier congressmen called on the White House to introduce large-scale sanctions against the Russian energy sector.