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‘Blatantly Untrue’: Reliance Industries Rejects Claims Of Russian Crude Vessels Heading To Jamnagar
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RIL has refuted reports that three vessels laden with Russian oil are on their way to its Jamnagar refinery
Oil (Representative Image)
Reliance Industries (RIL) has refuted reports that three vessels laden with Russian oil are on their way to its Jamnagar refinery.
In a post on X, RIL called the report “blatantly untrue”, adding that the refinery has not received any Russian oil cargo in around the past three weeks, nor is expecting any Russian crude oil deliveries in January.
Statement by Reliance Industries Limited:A news report in Bloomberg claiming “three vessels laden with Russian Oil are heading for Reliance Industries Limited’s Jamnagar refinery” is blatantly untrue.
Reliance Industries’s Jamnagar refinery has not received any cargo of…
— Reliance Industries Limited (@RIL_Updates) January 5, 2026
“We are deeply pained that those claiming to be at the forefront of fair journalism chose to ignore the denial by RIL of buying any Russian oil to be delivered in January and published a wrong report tarnishing our image,” it added.
Reliance also expressed disappointment that its denial was allegedly ignored in the report’s publication.
“A news report in Bloomberg claiming, ‘three vessels laden with Russian Oil are heading for Reliance Industries Limited’s Jamnagar refinery’, is blatantly untrue. Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar refinery has not received any cargo of Russian oil at its refinery in the past three weeks approx. and is not expecting any Russian crude oil deliveries in January,” RIL posted on X.
Saying that the report had hurt the company’s reputation, RIL added, ” We are deeply pained that those claiming to be at the forefront of fair journalism chose to ignore the denial by RIL of buying any Russian oil to be delivered in January and published a wrong report tarnishing our image.”
A Bloomberg report titled ‘Ships with Russian oil signal Reliance Plant as Destination’ had claimed that shipping data indicated the movement of Russian crude towards India’s west coast. According to Bloomberg, “A Reliance spokesman denied that the cargoes had been purchased by the company, adding that it didn’t have any committed shipments of Russian crude for delivery in January.”
Bloomberg further reported that, “At least three tankers carrying Russian crude are indicating Reliance Industries Ltd.’s plant on India’s west coast as their next destination, after the refiner restarted some purchases for domestic production.”
As per the report, “The vessels, laden with nearly 2.2 million barrels of Urals, are currently signalling the huge Jamnagar complex and are expected to deliver their cargoes early this month, according to data analytics firm Kpler.”
Explaining the basis of the data, Bloomberg said, “Kpler tracks the movement of vessels based on live signals sent by captains detailing their current location and upcoming discharge ports. Destinations can change as the ships approach India.”
Bloomberg reiterated the company’s denial in its report, stating, “A Reliance spokesman denied that the cargoes had been purchased by the company, adding that it didn’t have any committed shipments of Russian crude for delivery in January.”
The statement by RIL comes amid US imposing tariffs on the import of Indian goods as a “penalty” for India buying Russian oil. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, while referring to an audio clip of US President Donald Trump, claimed that Prime Minister Narendra is “under his control.”
Kharge told reporters, “I heard an audio today wherein Trump said (on Russian oil) that he knows that Modi respects him and listens to him. What does this mean? It means that Modi is under his control,” Kharge said. Drawing a pop-culture analogy, he added, “I am reminded of a dialogue from Mr India – ‘Mogambo Khush Hua’. After the Ambassador spoke to him, Trump said ‘Mogambo Khush Hua’.”
The opposition’s remarks come amid Trump’s threats of higher tariffs and possible sanctions on Indian exports for continued Russian oil imports.
Earlier, the Congress again cited Trump’s comments in a post on X.
“Donald Trump says India reduced its oil purchases from Russia because Modi wants to keep him happy. Trump says, ‘Modi wanted to make me happy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy,'” the Congress post read, questioning whether India’s decision was influenced by US pressure.
Trump had earlier warned of higher tariffs if India continued importing Russian oil, saying, “PM Modi’s a very good man. He’s a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly.”
The controversy comes amid renewed global focus on oil geopolitics, including recent US actions against Venezuela, while India has consistently defended its energy imports as necessary for domestic energy security.
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January 06, 2026, 07:48 IST
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India-US trade deal back in focus: Indian delegation to visit Washington next week for talks – The Times of India
India-US trade deal update: Months after India and the US announced an interim trade agreement that reduces tariffs on India to 18%, an official Indian delegation is set to travel to Washington next week for discussions with US authorities, a government source said on Wednesday.According to a PTI source, the visit is scheduled for next week. The agreement had originally been expected to be signed in March, but developments in the Donald Trump tariff regime following a ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States have changed the circumstances.
In this light, the talks between trade representatives of India and the United States are seen as particularly significant. Officials had earlier indicated that the deal would be concluded only after clarity emerges on the revised tariff structure in the United States.In February, the two countries had announced that they had finalised the framework for the first phase of their bilateral trade pact. As part of this understanding, the US had agreed to bring down tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent.However, the tariff environment in the US shifted after the court struck down sweeping reciprocal tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump. Subsequently, the US administration imposed a uniform 10 per cent tariff on imports from all countries for a period of 150 days starting February 24.Amid these changes, a planned meeting between the chief negotiators from both sides was deferred last month. The two countries had been scheduled to meet in February to finalise the legal text of the agreement.At the time the framework was agreed, India enjoyed a relative advantage over competing nations. That edge has since narrowed, as all US trading partners are now subject to the same 10 per cent tariff.The upcoming talks will also be crucial in the context of two ongoing investigations initiated by the Office of the United States Trade Representative under Section 301.On March 12, the USTR launched a probe covering around 60 economies, including India and China. The investigation aims to assess whether policies or practices related to the enforcement of bans on goods produced using forced labour are unreasonable or discriminatory, or whether they restrict US trade.A day earlier, on March 11, the USTR had initiated another Section 301 investigation focusing on the policies and industrial practices of 16 economies, including India and China.
Ads for supermarkets Lidl and Iceland have become the first to be banned under new rules governing “less healthy” food and drink.
The rules, which came into effect at the beginning of the year, are part of Government efforts to tackle childhood obesity by preventing ads for food and drink that is high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) appearing on television between 5.30am and 9pm, and online at any time.
The new ban applies to products that fall within 13 categories considered to play the most significant role in childhood obesity, including soft drinks, chocolates and sweets, pizzas and ice creams, but also breakfast cereals and porridges, sweetened bread products, and main meals and sandwiches.
Products that fall into these categories are than also assessed as to whether they are “less healthy” based on a scoring tool that considers their nutrient levels and whether products are high in saturated fat, salt or sugar.
Only products that meet both of the two criteria are included in the restrictions.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said an Instagram post for Lidl Northern Ireland by influencer Emma Kearney featured the grocer’s cheese pretzel, which was not categorised as HFSS and therefore did not fall within the restrictions, and its Pain Suisse product, which was classified as both HFSS and a sweetened bread product and was therefore banned under the new rules.
Lidl said the ad had been removed and they had liaised with their marketing agency to ensure that all future ads complied with the new rules.
In a separate case, Iceland confirmed that two ads included a tub of Swizzles Sweet Treats, a packet of Chupa Chups Laces, a bag of Chooee Disco Stix and a bag of Haribo Elf Surprises, which were all classified as HFSS.
They also provided nutrient profile information from their supplier which confirmed that Pringles Sour Cream & Onion crisps, also included in the ads, were not an HFSS product.
Iceland’s Luxury Aberdeen Angus Beef Roasting Joint, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Sticky Chicken Skewers and Lurpak Spreadable Butter, which were also included in the ads, did not fall within the new restrictions.
The ASA did not uphold a complaint against an Instagram post by influencer John Fisher – known to many as Big John – which featured him promoting menu items at a new German Doner Kebab outlet because the specific items shown in the ad were not classified as less healthy foods.
The watchdog also cleared a TV ad for On The Beach promoting free airport lounge access which featured a boy approaching a buffet and taking a chocolate ring doughnut.
The ASA said viewers would see the ad as showing an example of what was available in the lounge rather than for the doughnut itself, meaning it did not break the rules.
ASA chief executive Guy Parker said: “As the ad regulator, our role is to remain impartial and independent, making sure our new LHF rules, which reflect the law, are applied fairly and consistently.
“These initial rulings are an important step in building a clearer picture of how the rules are applied in reality.
“We’ll be continuing to play our role in administering and enforcing them, including by using tech-assisted proactive monitoring.”
An Iceland spokesman said: “The products highlighted were part of a bigger range in the specific display ad and were featured due to a technical fault with a data feed from a third-party supplier.
“As the ASA has pointed out, these initial rulings are helping to build a clearer picture of how the new rules are applied, following the initial confusion and debate around the regulations.”
At a meeting of the local authority’s executive on Tuesday, MacBeath said the scheme aimed to move beyond emergency aid by helping families become more financially “resilient”, offering advice on managing money, accessing benefits, reducing debt and finding work.
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