The media reported on the alleged possibility of India reducing oil purchases from Russia

Indian oil refineries may allegedly reduce purchases of Russian oil due to the threat of new US sanctions and the possible imposition of duties. This was reported on September 21 by Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources.

"Indian oil refiners, who are currently considering the possibility of purchases for delivery in November, may reduce imports of Russian crude oil after a large—scale US sanctions law came into force last week, threatening the introduction of new punitive duties," the material says.

It is claimed that so far we are talking only about a possible change in the procurement strategy, and no final decisions have been made. At the same time, replacing Russian supplies may be difficult due to their significant scale and the rising cost of alternative grades of oil. At the end of last week, Russian Urals crude oil delivered to India cost about $133 per barrel, while the Middle Eastern varieties Oman and Murban were several dollars more expensive.

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On September 18, the White House press service announced the signing by US President Donald Trump of the law on sanctions against Russia. The bill resolves and expands the legal sanctions, tariffs and prohibitions against Russia, as well as extends the existing sanctions against Iran.

On September 19, the head of the Indian GTRI organization, Ajay Srivastava, called on New Delhi to maintain purchases of Russian oil and not sacrifice the country's energy independence for the interests of the United States. According to him, India should continue to purchase Russian oil at favorable prices, as this has helped strengthen the country's energy security and curb inflation.