Reliance denies reports of Russian oil shipment to Jamnagar Refinery:Company says its an attempt to harm the company’s reputation

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) has strongly denied media reports claiming that ships carrying Russian crude oil are headed to its Jamnagar refinery, calling the reports completely false and damaging to the company’s image. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Mukesh Ambani-led company clarified that it has not received any Russian oil cargo over the past three weeks and does not expect any delivery of Russian crude in January. Responding via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Reliance rejected a report suggesting that “three ships loaded with Russian oil are heading towards Reliance Industries Limited’s Jamnagar refinery.” The company said, “The Jamnagar refinery has not received any Russian oil cargo in the last three weeks, nor are we expecting any Russian crude oil delivery in January.” Company says its denial was ignored Reliance also expressed disappointment that its denial was ignored prior to publication. The company stated that it regretted that those claiming to uphold fair journalism overlooked its clarification and published what it described as a misleading report that harmed its reputation. What Bloomberg reported The controversy arose following a Bloomberg report titled “Ships with Russian Oil Signal Reliance Plant as Destination.” Citing shipping data, the report claimed vessels carrying Russian crude were moving toward India’s western coast. However, the report also noted that a Reliance spokesperson denied purchasing the cargo and stated there was no confirmed shipment scheduled for January. Importance of Russian oil for India Russian oil has remained in global focus since the Ukraine war prompted Western sanctions on Moscow, leading Russia to offer crude at discounted prices. India subsequently increased imports, making Russia its largest crude oil supplier, ahead of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat is the world’s largest and most complex single-site refinery, capable of processing a wide range of crude grades into high-quality fuels, giving it a significant role in the global energy market.