Europe sanctions Moscow, but its gasoline reaches Russia via Morocco
Gasoline loaded in the United Kingdom and several European countries is reportedly transiting through Tanger Med before being re-exported to Russia. An analysis of tanker movements reveals a much broader circuit than the first 30,000-ton shipment disclosed in July.
Russia, despite being a major oil producer, is now importing fuel to make up for the damage caused by Ukrainian strikes on its refineries. In July and August 2026, its imports reportedly reached 3.85 million barrels, including 3.1 million barrels of gasoline and components intended for its production.
Part of these volumes is reportedly passing through Morocco. According to an analysis published on September 4 by Windward, a major storage terminal at Tanger Med receives European and British gasoline, blends it, and then re-exports it to Russian ports.
On Bladi.net : Running short of gasoline, Russia turns to Morocco for supplies
Between January and August, nine tankers reportedly delivered approximately one million barrels loaded in Spain, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Italy and the United Kingdom to this terminal. The facility has 19 tanks and can store up to 3.35 million barrels.
Between June and July, three other vessels transported approximately one million barrels from Tanger Med to Russian ports in the Arctic and the Baltic. Around 500,000 additional barrels are currently reportedly en route to Russia.
An unprecedented circuit since at least 2016
Windward draws on its maritime data and that of the specialist company Vortexa. According to the latter, these are the first gasoline shipments between Morocco and Russia recorded since it began its records in 2016.
The last gasoline cargo shipped from this terminal to a destination other than Russia dates back to May 2026, when approximately 260,000 barrels were sent to Spain. No other country reportedly received finished gasoline from the facility thereafter.
The volumes shipped to Russia even exceed the European and British arrivals identified since the beginning of the year. Windward estimates that this discrepancy is consistent with the use of older stocks and blending operations, making it more difficult to identify the fuel’s exact origin.
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The Moroccan terminal reportedly previously served the reverse circuit. Between 2023 and 2025, Russian diesel was reportedly delivered there and then re-exported to European Mediterranean ports as a “Moroccan” product. The infrastructure that transported Russian fuel to Europe would now be used to send European fuel to Russia.