Two Russian oil cargoes that were initially headed toward East Asia have redirected their routes to India, according to ship tracking information, indicating that New Delhi may be more open to accepting the crude as tensions in the Middle East escalate. Data from Kpler and Vortexa show that two tankers carrying a combined total of about 1.4 million barrels of Urals crude are scheduled to unload at Indian ports this week. Earlier signals suggested the shipments were bound for destinations farther east. Urals crude, typically loaded from ports in the Baltic and Black Seas, had once been widely purchased by Indian refiners. However, imports have dropped significantly this year amid pressure from the United States urging India to reduce purchases.

The Suezmax tanker Odune, transporting roughly 730000 barrels, reached Paradip on India’s eastern coast on Wednesday, according to ship tracking data and port agent reports, though it remains unclear whether the cargo has been unloaded. Another tanker, the Aframax vessel Matari carrying more than 700000 barrels, is expected to arrive at Vadinar on the western coast on Thursday.

Indian refiners had recently scaled back their purchases of Russian crude to avoid complicating trade discussions with Washington. This shift forced Russia to increasingly look toward China for buyers. However, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz are raising concerns about possible supply shortages, prompting Indian processors to reconsider Russian supplies.

Further route changes may also occur. The Suezmax tanker Indri, currently in the Arabian Sea and previously indicating Singapore as its destination, recently altered course toward India while carrying around 730000 barrels of Urals crude, according to tracking data. All three tankers — Odune, Matari and Indri — were sanctioned last year by both the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Global Ship Solutions LLC, based in Azerbaijan and listed in the Equasis database as the manager of Odune, did not immediately respond to an email request for comment. Contact details for the vessel’s Hong Kong based owner, Sylvarn Fleetline Ltd, were unavailable. Similarly, Anchor Elite Shipmanagement, the Azerbaijan registered manager of Matari, did not respond to an emailed inquiry, and contact information for the ship’s owner, Oasis Bloom Corp, could not be located. No email or telephone contact information was available for Indri’s Hong Kong based owner Veyronda Seaborne Ltd or its Azerbaijan based manager Stellar Ship Solutions LLC.