Morocco imported 1.35 million tonnes of Russian diesel as US-bound cargoes seek new buyers
Cargoes of Russian diesel originally destined for the United States are seeking new markets. Moscow says they will find buyers. Morocco is already a major market for the fuel, having imported 1.35 million tonnes in the first half of 2026.
The Kremlin remains confident despite several oil tankers changing course. Asked on Thursday, November 5, about Russian diesel shipments that were supposed to reach the United States, spokesman Dmitri Peskov said that “all the diesel will find buyers.” The shipments have already been made, he told the TASS news agency, adding that their commercial destinations were a trade secret.
On Bladi.net : Russian Diesel Shipment Heads to Morocco After Trump-Putin Deal
According to maritime data analyzed by Windward, two of the three tankers initially expected on the US coast have changed course. The Russian-flagged Talisman passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean. Its declared destination is now “For Order,” a designation used when a ship is awaiting commercial instructions.
The Sierra Leone-flagged Leruo, for its part, lists Brazil as its new destination. A third tanker, the Agioi Fanendes, is continuing across the Atlantic toward the US coast. The first two ships appear on Western sanctions lists, complicating commercial and port operations.
Morocco: Russia’s top diesel supplier? No, its leading regional customer
The kingdom is an important outlet for Russian exports. According to Vortexa data published by OPIS, a Dow Jones subsidiary, Morocco imported 4.34 million tonnes of diesel and gasoil in the first half of 2026. Of that volume, 1.35 million tonnes came from Russia, accounting for 31% of imports. Moscow was then Morocco’s leading supplier, ahead of Spain, which delivered 650,000 tonnes.
Oil trade between the two countries also flows in the other direction. For several months, fuel cargoes have been leaving Tanger Med for Russia. The Moroccan terminal is used in particular to store and transship petroleum products shipped from various European countries.
On Bladi.net : Moroccan diesel threatens Spanish refineries amid Russian sanctions
The resumption of Russian exports had already boosted supplies to Morocco in October. According to LSEG maritime data cited by Reuters, a tanker loaded with 40,000 tonnes of gasoil at the Russian port of Primorsk on October 13 had declared Morocco as its destination. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexandre Novak was then forecasting that national exports would return to a rate of 3 to 3.5 million tonnes of diesel per month by the end of the year.
