US opens a temporary route for Russian diesel
A new US license permits specified Russian-diesel trade until April 7, 2027; promised fuel deliveries and lower retail prices remain separate, unverified outcomes.
OFAC issued General License 135 on October 9, allowing specified sales, delivery, offloading and imports of Russian-origin diesel, including into the United States.
The authorization runs through 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on April 7, 2027—the start of that day. It does not permit debiting US-held accounts of Russia’s central bank, National Wealth Fund or Finance Ministry. [1][2]
The policy changes the economic pressure applied to Russia while the war continues. President Trump announced staged fuel supplies; President Zelenskyy opposed relief without reciprocal de-escalation. Those are political positions and announced intentions. The license itself contains no loading-date cutoff or ceasefire condition, and does not demonstrate that a cargo has arrived. [1][3][4]
For buyers, a US authorization is only one part of a transaction: the trade press’s legal analysis says UK and EU restrictions remain in force. For households, the useful measure is the price actually paid, not the promised volume. Neither delivered supply nor a resulting retail discount is established in these reports. [2][3][4]
Sources & details 5 sources
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- OFAC · General License 135, October 9
Complete original license inspected. Exact expiry and restricted accounts verified. No loading-date condition appears in the text; this resolves conflicting initial reporting.
- Ship & Bunker · Independent trade and legal reporting
October 9 report retrieved directly as public HTML. Quotes lawyer Steve Simms on unchanged UK/EU restrictions and distinguishes the US waiver from other sanctions.
- DW · Announced supplies and Ukrainian response
Dmytro Hubenko with wire services, October 9. Attributed plans and reactions, not shipping records or proof of consumer savings.
- The National · October 9 reporting, updated October 10
Kyle Fitzgerald’s reporting corroborates the announcement and Ukrainian objection. Its numerical supply promises are not converted into measured deliveries.
- OFAC · Dated issuance record
October 9 publication record links the operative GL135. This is distinct from the previously reported US diesel-tax proposal.
Images & figures
AI-generated editorial illustration. Conceptual editorial artwork, not a specific ship, cargo, route, reservoir, measured volume or price effect. An empty drawn reservoir does not establish zero actual deliveries.
Euangelion · AI-generated editorial illustration · Source · Usage terms
The license has an expiry; promised supply has not become verified delivery.
Euangelion · original explanatory figure · Source · Usage terms · Download figure