Ukrainian media report that all shipments from Constanta will be subjected to enhanced control in the first two weeks of October. This applies to both sea and rail transportation. The reason was the large volumes of Indian products that arrived at the Romanian port in September – about 200,000 tons.
“The Romanians asked not to impose sanctions at least in the first two weeks of October to be able to realize the remaining significant stocks of Indian fuel. The Ukrainian side refused,” a major Ukrainian trader said.
“At the moment, it seems that in case of new deliveries of Indian fuel or other suspicious shipments, the enhanced inspection regime will be extended for another two weeks or even a month,” another trader said.
At the same time, according to information published in the Romanian press, the state administration of Constanta port is negotiating with the concessionaires of the facilities – Vitol, Oscar, Socar, Euronova – to work out a common position on the rejection of import routes considered “toxic” in order to maintain supplies to Ukraine, which accounted for 47% of Constanta’s cargo turnover in 2025.
In addition, according to one of the traders interviewed, Turkey, which accounts for a significant share of Constanta’s cargo turnover, is also expected to be included in the list of undesirable destinations.
The Ukrainian side’s concerns are related to the fact that, unlike fuel refined at European refineries, there is no guarantee that diesel fuel obtained from refining in India and Turkey is not derived from Russian crude mixed with other grades.
If the described scenario is realized, Moldova will also suffer from it to a certain extent. A part of diesel fuel supplies from Romania to Ukraine is transported by rail through our territory, so Moldova will lose transit revenues.
