Seoul: South Korea has warned that legal action could follow if an investigation confirms that fuel was illegally shipped to Russia, after Ukraine raised concerns over alleged exports involving vessels under international sanctions.
The action follows allegations by a Ukrainian presidential adviser that more than 176,000 tonnes of petroleum products were sent to Russia during July and August. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has remarked that it had not confirmed whether South Korean fuel, including diesel, was exported to Russia through the transactions in question. It noted that certain commercial petroleum products, including diesel and jet fuel, are not currently covered by South Korea’s export controls on Russia. Official trade statistics also showed no customs-cleared exports of diesel, gasoline or jet fuel from South Korea to Russia between 2025 and August 2026.
The allegations were raised by Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on sanctions policy. Citing a report based on port records and vessel-tracking data, Vlasiuk said more than 176,000 tonnes of fuel, mainly diesel, had been shipped from South Korean ports to Russia in July and August. Seven tankers reportedly made 14 voyages, with three of the vessels subject to UK and EU sanctions.
South Korea’s presidential office rejected the allegations, stating the claims were made without sufficient verification of key details, including the parties involved, the origin of the products and their final buyers. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung highlighted that Seoul had consistently implemented sanctions and export controls against Russia in coordination with the international community.
The Foreign Ministry emphasised that authorities would examine the vessels’ actual routes and declared destinations to determine whether any domestic laws had been breached. It stressed that loading commercial petroleum products at South Korean ports does not, by itself, constitute a violation of the country’s export-control rules.
The dispute comes with already strained relations between Seoul and Kyiv. South Korea recently accused Zelenskyy of publicly disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, which Seoul remarked was supposed to remain confidential. Ukraine has disputed the existence of such a confidentiality agreement.
Meanwhile, North Korea and Russia have strengthened military ties since signing a mutual defence treaty in 2024. South Korean and Ukrainian estimates indicate that around 14,000 to 15,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to support Russia’s war effort against Ukraine. South Korea noted that it would take action in accordance with the law if violations are confirmed and would continue efforts to prevent the circumvention of export controls.
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