Russia's oil exports through its Northern Sea Route (NSR) in 2026 have already exceeded last year's by nearly 50%, with some 20 million barrels shipped to Asia from the start of navigation in July to mid-October, traders said and data showed.

Russia shipped the most crude in a month-and-a-half, while a jump in prices propelled the value of those cargoes close to the highest since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. But the benefits to the Kremlin are being undermined by its ban on overseas diesel sales.