“Korea supplying diesel to Russia?” Ukraine directly called out Korea

Citing a Guardian report, Sensor Studio says that more than 17 ten-thousand tonnes plus 6000 tonnes of fuel were transported from Korean ports to Russia's Far East during months 7~8 in 14 shipments aboard 7 vessels, and that most of it was diesel. It says that 3 of the 7 vessels were under EU sanctions and that shipments from Korea accounted for 31% of Russia's petroleum-product imports, second only to India. It adds that although this did not violate Korean law, it could create the perception that Korea is a weak link. It says Ukraine condemned the shipments as compensating for lost refining capacity and undermining sanctions against Russia, while the Korean government called those statements inaccurate and inappropriate and requested restraint in public comments. It explains the background: Russian refinery throughput at its lowest in over 20 years, a 30% decrease in diesel production, 51% of refining capacity disabled, and an extension of diesel export restrictions. Amid the prolonged US–Iran war, it reports Aramco's statement that commercial inventories have fallen below 60 hundred-million barrels, an analysis that readily usable supplies may be no more than 6 hundred-million barrels, an IEA inventory decrease of 5 hundred-million barrels plus 700 ten-thousand barrels, and US SPR holdings at their lowest in 44 years. It reports the EIA's forecast of Brent at 105 dollars in quarter 4 and says it examines problems of diplomatic trust dating back to the controversy over publicly disclosing the transfer of 2 North Korean prisoners of war. It concludes by discussing the significance of raising the issue publicly and the strict scrutiny of Korea's actions toward Russia, emphasizing the need to keep watching. All directional outlooks are the speaker's conditional judgments, not definitive short-term price predictions.