Two of three Russian diesel tankers bound for the U.S. have changed course as New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill warned port and terminal operators against accepting Russian fuel, according to reports cited by PBS NewsHour and Reddit posts summarizing news coverage. The shifts come under a deal President Donald Trump announced with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and no U.S. delivery under the arrangement has been confirmed. The outcome matters for the country’s Russian diesel imports and for the sanctions rules that govern them.
Trump announced the agreement on Oct. 9 to make more than 300,000 metric tons of Russian diesel available immediately, with larger shipments to follow, according to PBS NewsHour. The volume figure differs between sources, and one Reddit post gives 33,069 tons for the same promise.
The Russian tanker Talisman and the Sierra Leone-flagged Leruo originally declared U.S. East Coast destinations. As of Thursday, according to PBS NewsHour, one was headed toward Brazil and the other into the Mediterranean. The Financial Times first reported the diverted courses, according to a Reddit post citing the paper. That post says Leruo switched its destination signal to Brazil on Monday, Nov. 2, and that Talisman is off Algeria signaling "for orders."
The Greek-owned Agioi Fanendes loaded about 40,000 metric tons at Primorsk and is still apparently heading to New York, though it is also signaling "for orders," according to the same Reddit source. PBS NewsHour does not name this third tanker, and the name varies across sources.
In a letter dated Monday, Sherrill advised port and terminal operators to turn away ships carrying Russian fuel and warned of harsh penalties, according to PBS NewsHour. Kpler analyst Matt Smith said U.S. companies were reluctant to buy Russian diesel because of legal and sanctions-related risks, according to a Reddit post citing news coverage.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "all the diesel will find its buyers," according to PBS NewsHour. Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the Financial Times report "Fake."
The Treasury temporarily authorized Russian diesel transactions that would ordinarily be subject to U.S. sanctions. The administration maintains the authorization was lawful, and no court has ruled on it. Sources disagree on when the exemption ends: PBS NewsHour says it runs until April 7, while a Reddit post citing news coverage says transactions are authorized through April 2027. Twelve senators urged Trump to abandon the deal, and a bipartisan group warned banks, ports and fuel distributors of possible civil or criminal liability.
Zelensky said the deal provides "additional money for this war." The Financial Times reportedly said U.S. diesel inventories fell below 100 million barrels for the first time in more than two decades, but that figure rests on a single source.
Key gaps remain. No buyer or unloading point has been confirmed for any cargo, and no response from the tankers’ owners or operators has been reported. The White House and Kremlin have not disclosed the price, payment terms or participating companies. The Financial Times report is cited second-hand, and no full text was available.
Next, it remains to be seen whether the remaining North Atlantic tanker changes course, whether any Russian diesel reaches U.S. buyers, and whether courts or Congress act on the authorization dispute.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.