Russian Diesel Shipments Resume to Turkey and Brazil as Tankers Depart Primorsk

Two tankers carrying a combined 600,000 barrels of Russian diesel have departed Primorsk, marking a resumption of significant shipments to Turkey and Brazil after export restrictions were eased. The departures put those established buyer markets back in focus, while Russia’s diesel exports remain well below last year’s pace.

Two cargoes leave Primorsk

Dolunay left the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk on October 14 with approximately 300,000 barrels aboard. Ship-tracking and maritime data from Kpler and LSEG list its destination as Alanya, in Turkey. The reported destination identifies the vessel’s current stated route; it does not confirm that the cargo has arrived or been unloaded.

A second tanker, Leruo, departed Primorsk on October 16, bound for Manaus, Brazil. The reported cargo is also about 300,000 barrels, bringing the two vessels’ combined load to approximately 600,000 barrels. The available information identifies the ships, departure dates, cargo estimates and reported destinations, but does not provide arrival dates or discharge details.

Those distinctions matter to shippers tracking available product. A departure shows that a cargo has entered the maritime supply chain, while confirmation of delivery depends on subsequent vessel movements and unloading information. The Alanya destination is therefore a meaningful signal of intended routing, but not proof that the diesel has reached Turkish buyers.

Turkey and Brazil account for large shares

Turkey and Brazil have been among the largest buyers of Russian diesel since the start of 2023, as trade routes for the product shifted after restrictions on Russian oil products were imposed by Western countries. Kpler data cited in the source put Turkey’s share of Russian diesel shipments at approximately 34% since the beginning of 2026. The reported average flow to Turkey is 95,000 barrels per day.

Brazil accounts for a reported 24% share, or about 66,000 barrels per day. Morocco represents approximately 10% of Russian diesel exports, and shipments there have also reportedly resumed following the easing of restrictions. These market shares help show where Russian cargoes have been moving; they do not establish how much fuel each destination will receive in the coming weeks.

For buyers and freight planners, the two tanker departures offer concrete evidence of renewed movement on routes to Turkey and Brazil. The figures remain estimates, and the vessels’ listed destinations do not by themselves establish the final delivery volumes. Follow-up port calls and discharge records will clarify whether the cargoes complete their reported routes.

Restrictions eased as exports remain lower

Russia eased its diesel export restrictions on October 9. The limits had been introduced to protect domestic fuel supply after refinery production losses and shortages. The source also links reduced output to attacks on refineries in Ukraine. During the summer, lower production and tight domestic availability contributed to a decline in export volumes before restrictions on overseas sales were imposed.

An agreement with the United States preceded the easing, and a temporary suspension of some U.S. restrictions on Russian diesel also enabled international shipments to resume. Import bans on Russian oil products by the European Union and the United Kingdom remain in effect, so the renewed cargoes do not indicate that access has reopened across all markets.

Russia’s average diesel exports since the beginning of 2026 were 345,000 barrels per day, according to the source. That is 41% below the average for the same period last year. The decline gives the Primorsk departures context: resumed shipments are visible, but the overall export flow has not returned to its prior level.

From October 11 through October 20, about 210,000 metric tons of diesel, equivalent to 1.56 million barrels, were shipped from Russia. That period covers ten days, while the reported 345,000-barrel daily average describes exports since the start of the year. The measures refer to different time spans, so they should be read separately rather than treated as competing totals.

What the routes show

The return of cargoes to Turkey fits the country’s role as a major destination for Russian diesel. Turkey’s energy minister had said that some diesel Russia offered to international markets would come to Turkey. Dolunay’s reported Alanya destination is a visible indication in shipping data that a cargo may be heading there; confirmation still depends on the vessel’s later movements and unloading.

The same caution applies to the Brazil-bound Leruo. Its reported destination and estimated cargo identify a planned movement, while the source provides no arrival or discharge confirmation. For procurement and logistics teams, the next useful indicators are completed port calls, unloading records and whether additional departures follow the October 9 easing.

Russia is expected to prioritize established customers as exports resume, according to the source. Turkey and Brazil remain prominent in the reported trade data, but the current figures show both a renewed flow and a substantial year-over-year contraction. The practical signal is a return of individual cargoes to familiar routes, with their final deliveries and the pace of further shipments still to be confirmed.