South Korea’s presidential office on Wednesday rejected a claim by Ukraine’s top sanctions official, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, that fuel loaded at South Korean ports onto seven tankers, including vessels under British and EU sanctions, had eased a Russian fuel crisis caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries. Seoul said it had “consistently enforced sanctions and export controls against Russia” since the 2022 invasion, and that it was examining the facts and would act if export control problems were confirmed. The accusation deepens a diplomatic rift that began last month over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war, which Seoul had meant to keep secret; Kyiv says closed diplomatic channels are working to resolve it.
South Korea denies Ukrainian claim it helped ease Russia's fuel crisis
Seoul's presidential office on Wednesday dismissed a Ukrainian report that Russia imported petroleum products from South Korean ports, calling the accusation inappropriate and saying it is checking for export control issues.
Why it matters: The dispute strains the South Korea-Ukraine relationship further and raises questions about how tightly sanctions on Russian energy are actually being enforced.
Data as of Reporting October 7, 2026. Single-sourced to Arab News, which cites the South Korean presidential office and Ukrainian officials; sanctions-enforcement details unverified.
Sources
- South Korea denies Ukrainian report that it eased Russia's fuel crisis · Arab News · 2026-10-07