Oil Export: Russia Circumvents Sanctions Through Indonesia.

Alternative Routes for Exporting Russian Oil

Due to the sanctions imposed against Russia, the country is seeking new routes for exporting oil and petroleum products. According to the Foreign Intelligence Service, the number one transshipment point in 2025 became the Karimun port in Indonesia. Interestingly, this terminal does not belong to the Indonesian authorities, as it is located in a free trade zone and is outside the country's jurisdiction.

'This allows Russian companies to bypass sanctions. At the port, they mix Russian petroleum products with goods of other origins, after which they are considered Indonesian, and sanctions do not apply to them. Later, these goods are exported to other countries,' the report states.

Since the beginning of 2025, 590,000 tons of fuel oil have been exported through the Karimun port from the Ust-Luga port in Russia, which is more than the quota for the January-March 2024 period. Additionally, this year around 217,000 tons of diesel, 50,000 tons of oil, and 217,000 tons of diesel fuel were exported for the first time.