Reliance buys at least 15 mln barrels of Russian oil

Reliance Industries Ltd , operator of the world’s biggest oil refining complex, has ordered at least 15 million barrels of Russian oil since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, trade sources said.

Reliance has bought an average 5 million barrels a month for the June quarter, the sources said.

Reliance did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ email seeking comment.

Before the Ukraine war, Indian refiners, including Reliance, rarely bought Russian oil owing to high freight costs.

But Western sanctions against Russia since its Ukraine invasion, which Moscow calls a “special operation”, have prompted many oil importers to shun trade with Moscow, depressing its crude prices to record discount levels .