Russian oil continues to flow into the American military supply chain despite Western prohibitions, the Washington Post reported on Nov. 14.
After Western countries imposed a ban on Russian oil products, a Greek oil refinery that services the U.S. Pentagon, Motor Oil Hellas, stopped sourcing its petroleum materials directly from Russia. However, an investigation by the Washington Post revealed that much of its exported oil can be traced back to Russia despite prohibitions.
Motor Oil Hellas introduced a new export route by which Russian oil is first sent to an oil storage facility in Turkey, allowing for the products' origins to be obscured. After the products change hands between Turkey and Greece, the oil eventually makes its way into American supply chains.
The storage facility in the Turkish city of Dortyol received more than 2 million barrels of fuel from Russia since the EU sanctions were established. More than 4 million barrels of fuel were shipped to the Greek oil refinery. The report states that the precise amount of Russian-origin materials in the products the Pentagon purchases could not be determined.
Motor Oil Hellas finalized more than $1 billion in contracts with the Pentagon since the U.S. ban on Russian oil took effect in March 2022.
The EU is currently negotiating its 12th round of sanctions against Russia. One of its primary aims is to prevent Russia from evading sanctions by working with third-party countries.
Daria Shulzhenko
