South Korea has criticized Ukraine over statements regarding the supply of petroleum products to Russia
South Korea has responded to Ukraine’s allegations that petroleum products are being shipped to Russian companies from South Korean ports. Officials in Seoul stated that the Ukrainian side had drawn conclusions without sufficiently verifying all the circumstances surrounding the relevant transactions.
The day before, Vladislav Vlasyuk, the Ukrainian president’s representative on sanctions policy, reported that Russia imported more than 176,000 metric tons of petroleum products from South Korea in July and August. According to his estimates, in August, these shipments accounted for about 31% of Russia’s total fuel imports.
Vladislav Vlasyuk based his conclusions on an analysis of port records and information on vessel movements.
According to the data provided, seven tankers loaded fuel at South Korean ports and then made 14 voyages to Russia’s Far East. At the same time, some of the vessels mentioned in the study are subject to sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom and the European Union.
The Ukrainian side also linked these shipments to the state of Russia’s oil refining industry. According to Kyiv’s assessment, Russia has suffered significant losses in oil refining capacity due to strikes by Ukrainian drones, so importing fuel through South Korean ports could partially offset the reduction in its own oil refining capabilities.
The South Korean presidential administration rejected the accusations, stating that the Ukrainian conclusions are not supported by sufficient verified facts.
South Korean Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong emphasized that since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the country has consistently adhered to international sanctions against Moscow and has implemented its own export control mechanisms.
According to her, the information released by Ukraine regarding specific shipments does not allow for a definitive determination of all the circumstances surrounding the relevant operations. In particular, the parties to the trade agreements, the actual origin of the petroleum products, and their final buyers remain unknown at this time.
Seoul also emphasized that publicly disseminating such claims without proper verification could negatively impact international trust in South Korea.
South Korean authorities announced that they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shipments in question. If the investigation reveals violations of sanctions laws or export control regulations, the relevant authorities promise to take the necessary measures.
The South Korean presidential administration also drew attention to official trade statistics.
According to South Korean data, no exports of diesel fuel, gasoline, or jet fuel to Russia were recorded from August 2025 to August 2026.
Consequently, Seoul has stated that further verification of the origin of petroleum products, the parties to the agreements, and the final recipients is necessary before drawing conclusions regarding a possible violation of sanctions restrictions.
This is reported by Bloomberg.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga did not apologize to South Korea over the diplomatic dispute, but merely expressed regret that the situation had escalated to an exchange of public criticisms.
Prior to this, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that South Korea had received an apology from Ukraine for the disclosure of information regarding the transfer of two prisoners of war from North Korea, but that this apology was made without due respect.
Ukraine intends to resolve the dispute with South Korea in the near future, which arose after the disclosure of information regarding the transfer of two prisoners of war from North Korea to Seoul.
