🛢️ What’s Going On — and Why It Matters

While Australia has imposed direct sanctions on Russian oil, a dangerous loophole remains: oil refined in countries like India — using Russian crude — is still being imported into Australia. One of the biggest culprits is the Jamnagar refinery in Sikka Port, India, run by Reliance Industries, which refines huge volumes of Russian oil. On June 3rd alone, 130 million litres of fuel arrived in Western Australia from this refinery — and up to 35% of it could be traced back to Russian barrels.

This matters because every barrel of Russian oil sold includes taxes and export duties that go directly to the Kremlin, helping fund the war against Ukraine. It’s estimated that Australian imports of such fuel have indirectly contributed over $5 billion AUD to Russia’s war chest in the past three years. Despite being raised in Parliament and scrutinised in Senate Inquiries, the government has failed to act. Meanwhile, Ukrainian civilians continue to suffer the consequences.

This is not just a geopolitical issue — it’s a moral one. Australian motorists filling their tanks likely have no idea they could be unwittingly financing war crimes. We have options. There are dozens of refineries that don’t use Russian oil. There is no excuse for inaction. By closing this loophole, we can ensure our national values are aligned with our international stance — and make sure not a single Australian dollar is used to fuel Putin’s invasion.

Herald Sun article.