Russian oil tankers increasingly list Singapore as destination amid sanctions pressures

Russian oil tankers have been increasingly naming Singapore as their official destination, a trend that reflects changes in global export patterns and mounting sanctions challenges, Reuters reported on Monday (9 February), citing traders and shipping data. 

Shipping data from LSEG indicated that around 1.4 million metric tonnes of Russian crude oil were recorded as bound for Singapore in January, marking the highest monthly total in recent years.

Traders told Reuters that Singapore itself does not import Russian oil due to the risks associated with Western sanctions. 

However, they said many vessels never actually unload in Singapore’s ports. Instead, they may conduct ship-to-ship transfers in waters nearby or later offload their cargo elsewhere — such as off Malaysia or into floating storage units — with Singapore listed mainly to obscure the true final destination.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 11 February, 2026