Over the last four weeks, shipments of Russian crude oil surged to their highest levels since January of the previous year. Between April and May 2023, Moscow exported roughly 3.55 million barrels per day, a gain of about 0.4 million barrels per day compared with the same timeframe in 2022, according to calculations from Bloomberg News.
The rise in Russian crude exports occurred despite Western-imposed sanctions aimed at curbing Moscow’s energy revenue. A price cap remains in effect for key Russian crude, set at 60 dollars per barrel, and a European embargo on sea-borne Russian oil continues to constrain some transit routes. Yet the market dynamics show resilience in supply flows alongside these measures.
Even with ongoing sanctions, Russian crude shipments to international markets have held steady and reached near‑record levels in recent weeks. From April through May, Moscow’s exports averaged about 3.55 million barrels per day, exceeding the previous year’s pace by roughly 0.4 million barrels per day, a signal of how sanctions and policy responses are shaping global energy trade in nuanced ways.
In a May 9 report, the EUobserver noted that the European Commission is exploring steps to persuade Germany to halt oil deliveries to the country via the Druzhba pipeline as part of broadening anti‑Russian sanctions. At the same time, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia may continue to receive oil through Druzhba, illustrating the uneven impact of sanctions on different member states and the ongoing reconfiguration of supply routes in Central and Eastern Europe.