The US Department of Defense, through suppliers in Greece and Turkey, may have obtained some petroleum products with Russian origins, potentially violating Western sanctions that imposed price caps.
A Washington Post investigation revealed that these products were procured via the Greek oil refinery Motor Oil Hellas on the Aegean coast. Following sanctions on Russian oil, the supply route was altered to pass through a Turkish oil terminal in Dörtyol, where Russian oil was mixed and transferred to tankers to obscure its origin.
The exact percentage of Russian-origin fuel oil in Pentagon purchases remains unclear due to the complexity of refining processes and the multiple ingredients used.
While Motor Oil Hellas claims innocence, the Pentagon recently signed nearly $1 billion in contracts with the company and states it relies on contractors to comply with sanctions. The Washington Post's inquiries raise concerns about the efficacy of sanctions enforcement in the petroleum supply chain.
