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Morocco Emerges as Top Sea Fuel Supplier to Russia

Reported October 2026 shipping data show Moroccan ports accounted for about three-quarters of Russia's seaborne fuel imports.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Oil and Gas

Flat-color editorial illustration of a single unmarked tanker crossing dark navy water toward a pale horizon, evoking distant fuel supply lines.
Morocco was Russia's largest seaborne fuel supplier in October, shipping about 74% of its imports as Ukrainian drone strikes hit refineries. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should the U.S. reconsider its partnership with Morocco over reported fuel sales to Russia?

Morocco was the largest sea supplier of fuel products to Russia in October 2026, according to reported Kpler data, shipping more than 40,000 barrels a day, about 74% of Russia's seaborne fuel imports of 54,000 barrels a day. The shift comes as Ukrainian drone strikes have hit Russian refineries and reduced domestic fuel output.

Why it matters

The data suggest Russia has turned to foreign sea-borne fuel to offset refinery disruptions caused by Ukrainian strikes. Loading in Morocco does not establish that the fuel was refined there, so the origin of the product remains a point of analysis.

Kpler's October shipment estimates put Russia's seaborne fuel imports at 54,000 barrels a day, with Morocco supplying roughly 74%. CREA's September tally of 96,000 tonnes of Moroccan gasoline, up from 39,000 tonnes in July, has not been independently verified against official customs records.

The players

Kpler

Kpler is an energy market analytics firm that tracks tanker movements and commodity flows, and its shipment data underpin these estimates.

Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA)

CREA is a Finland-based research organization that analyzes fossil fuel trade flows and publishes tracking reports on Russian energy exports.

The details

Gasoline cargoes were loaded at the Horizon terminal in Tangier and unloaded at St Petersburg and Murmansk, according to CREA's September analysis of fossil fuel flows. Turkey supplied the remainder of Russia's seaborne imports, placing it second behind Morocco.

Timeline

  1. July 2026: Moroccan gasoline shipments to Russia reached 39,000 tonnes.

  2. 14 July 2026: Kpler estimated Russian refinery runs had fallen sharply.

  3. September 2026: CREA counted 96,000 tonnes of Moroccan gasoline reaching Russia.

  4. October 2026: Kpler data showed Morocco as the largest sea fuel supplier to Russia.

Market Landscape

CREA has tracked Russian fossil fuel exports since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, documenting shifts in buyers and transit routes. The October data suggest Russia is now sourcing refined products through third-country sea routes as its own refinery output contracts under drone strikes.

Shifts in which countries supply Russia's fuel can affect global diesel and gasoline pricing that consumers see at the pump. Changes in refinery output and sourcing also influence the supply available to other importing markets.

The takeaway

Tracking where a refined product is loaded is not the same as knowing where it was refined, so reliable origin claims require customs or refinery records. Readers should weigh shipment-tracking estimates as indicators of trade direction rather than confirmed supply chains.

Further reading

For more on how global fuel flows are reshaping energy markets, explore our Oil and Gas coverage.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The Rio Times.

Live Poll

Should the U.S. reconsider its partnership with Morocco over reported fuel sales to Russia?