Morocco was reportedly the main source of the fuel that reached Russia by sea last month, as Ukrainian drone strikes keep Russian refineries short of output.
Reported data attributed to Kpler, a company that follows tankers and energy markets, say Morocco was the largest sea supplier of fuel products to Russia in October 2026. More than 40,000 of the 54,000 barrels a day that Russia imported by sea reportedly came from Moroccan ports, or about 74%.
Turkey reportedly supplied the rest. We could not reach Kpler or the original data, so we treat them as reported and not confirmed by us.
What the Data Show
The independently documented part of this story comes from September. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a research group that tracks fossil fuel flows, counted 96,000 tonnes of Moroccan gasoline reaching Russia that month, up from 39,000 tonnes in July.
The October figures attributed to Kpler would mark a step up if confirmed, since CREA ranked Morocco second behind Turkey in September. They rest on a single chain of reports, and the base of the 54,000 barrels a day is unclear against other trackers, so we cannot verify them.
File photo. The port of Tangier on Morocco’s northern coast, seen from the water.CREA says the September cargoes were gasoline loaded at the Horizon terminal, a fuel loading facility in Tangier on Morocco’s northern coast. They were unloaded at St Petersburg and Murmansk, two Russian ports in the north-west.
Why It Matters
Russia is short of fuel because Ukrainian drone strikes have hit its refineries. Kpler estimated in July that Russian refinery runs had fallen sharply, which would help explain why Moscow buys fuel abroad.
Morocco is a US free-trade partner and a major non-NATO ally, a status Washington gives to close partners outside the alliance. That is why a fuel flow from a Moroccan port to Russia draws attention in the United States.
Morocco also features in our wider Russia and Africa coverage. Related reading: Russia at the UN General Assembly and Morocco’s new Nador container terminal.
What It Means for You
Investors watch sanctions compliance because trading and shipping firms can face penalties if cargoes break the rules. Whether these cargoes do is not established.
What Is Not Known
Loading in Morocco does not mean the fuel was refined there. The reported data do not say who the exporters were, which Moroccan ports were used, or whether these were re-exports of imported cargoes.
Whether the cargoes break any sanctions is not established, and we make no allegation. We found no comment from Moroccan authorities, and we could not reach Kpler or the original report, as of 8 November 2026, 08:00 UTC.
More: Morocco news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country reportedly supplied Russia with the most fuel by sea in October 2026?
Reported data attributed to Kpler, which we could not confirm, say Morocco was the largest origin, with more than 40,000 of 54,000 barrels a day. Turkey reportedly supplied the rest.
Does Morocco refine the fuel it ships to Russia?
That is not established. The reported data do not say who the exporters were or whether the cargoes were re-exports.
Are these fuel shipments to Russia illegal?
Whether the cargoes break any sanctions is not established, and no wrongdoing has been alleged. We have not found a ruling on these specific shipments.
Sources: Reported data attributed to Kpler (ship tracking) for October 2026, not confirmed by us; Kpler analysis of Russian refinery runs, 14 July 2026; Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), September 2026 analysis of Russian seaborne fuel imports.
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