Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has made a big claim about India. He said that when the Strait of Hormuz was closed due to war in the Middle East, Russian oil supplies helped India overcome the crisis. This made Moscow a reliable energy partner for India. Rudenko recently said that Moscow can meet the demands of its partner even in difficult geopolitical conditions. Rudenko told Russian news outlet NEWS.ru this week that existing arrangements between India and Russia have helped “significantly reduce” the impact of disruptions in global energy trade. Rudenko also mentioned the Kudankulam nuclear power plant built with Russian collaboration and said another site for a Russian-designed nuclear power plant would be decided soon.

Oil supplies doubled in August

After the blockage of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, oil refineries here increased imports of Russian crude oil. India’s imports of Russian crude nearly doubled to 2.25 million barrels per day (bpd) in March 2026 after the conflict began, accounting for half of India’s total oil purchases. According to reports, after the war, supplies to India from the Gulf countries declined drastically.

What do the statistics say?

Rudenko’s statement comes at a time when India is raising concerns with the US over the sanctions law on Russia and Iran (under which 100% tariffs can be imposed on purchases of Russian oil) and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has sought to block Russia’s oil trade under the new US sanctions law. Russian oil supplies to India were around 2.1 million bpd in August and around 1.9 million bpd in September, according to preliminary data from commodity analytics firm Kpler. India’s government says it needs multiple suppliers to ensure affordable and reliable energy for its 1.4 billion population, and has warned against sanctions that could disrupt or limit global energy markets.