Tankers carrying Russian diesel to the US change course

Despite an ostensible deal between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to bring diesel to the US, tankers are reportedly unable to dock due to existing sanctions. Several sanctioned tankers headed for the US carrying Russian diesel are said to have changed course, one toward Brazil and the other into the Mediterranean, according to data from marine data company Kpler and vessel traffic site MarineTraffic.com. The tankers reportedly departed from the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk last month and had declared their destinations as the US east coast.

The agreement caused shock and drew criticism in Ukraine and Europe. But it also was a logistical challenge, given that sanctions against Russia still remain in place. UK newspaper The Financial Times (FT) reported Wednesday that two of the tankers appeared to have changed their destination and were no longer headed to the United States.

A third vessel was still in the North Atlantic headed toward the US but changed its destination from New York to a vague "for orders," without listing an unloading point.