Amid Western sanctions, Russia continues to seek alternative routes for exporting crude oil and petroleum products. In 2025, the Indonesian port of Karimun has emerged as the largest transshipment hub for Russian crude oil. Indonesian authorities have no control over the operations of the terminal, which is located in a free trade zone and therefore outside the country's jurisdiction.
This was reported by the CFTS portal, citing information from Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
Oil transshipment through Karimun allows Russian companies to circumvent sanctions, the Foreign Intelligence Service said.
According to the Foreign Intelligence Service, Russian petroleum products are mixed with petroleum products from other countries of origin, after which they are considered Indonesian petroleum products, to which Western sanctions do not apply. The mixed petroleum products are then re-exported to Singapore, Malaysia, and China.
Since the beginning of 2025, 590,000 tons of fuel oil have been exported from the port of Ust-Luga (Russia) through Karimun (about 100,000 tons in January-March 2024).
In addition, about 217,000 tons of diesel fuel, 50,000 tons of crude oil, and 217,000 tons of diesel fuel were shipped from Russia to the port for the first time in 2025.
Between March and April 2025, at least three cargoes arrived in Karimun in tankers sanctioned by the European Union and Great Britain.
The intermediaries in the trade in sanctioned commodities are obscure trading companies that often change their names before arriving at their final destinations.
