Media: UK buys Russian oil through third countries

The UK, after refusing to import oil from Russia, began to buy it through third countries, Report informs citing The Spectator magazine.

The article cites data from the Office for National Statistics of the United Kingdom, according to which there was no import of oil products from Russia in June. At the same time, the UK bought raw materials from Belgium, which does not have its own reserves, but only has the ability to process it. In this regard, the author of the material suggested that London is circumventing its own ban on the purchase of Russian oil.

On August 22, Bloomberg wrote that crude oil supplies from Russia rose to 3.41 million barrels per day between August 13 and August 19, reversing almost all of the previous decline. At the same time, the Mediterranean countries increased supplies by 140,000 barrels per day.

Further, on August 8, Bloomberg noted that countries in southern Europe and the Mediterranean are secretly buying oil from Russia. According to the agency, the volume of oil supplies from Russian export terminals in the Black and Baltic Seas to Italian ports reached a seven-week high.

In June, the Independent reported that European companies had almost doubled their supplies of Russian oil since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, despite attempts by the European Union to block energy exports from Russia to world markets.