Australia Indirectly Funds Russia Through Fuel Imports, Analysis Reveals

The Australian government said Russian fuel imports have dropped to zero since a 2022 ban, but loopholes allow refined Russian oil to enter via third countries.

Smoke rises above the area following what local authorities called a drone attack on a military unit in the Sredny settlement, in the Usolsky district of the Irkutsk region, Russia, in this still image from a video published on June 1, 2025. Governor of Irkutsk Region Igor Kobzev via Telegram/Handout via Reuters

Australia, despite committing $1.5 billion (US$953 million) in support to Ukraine, has inadvertently channelled even more money to Russia via indirect fuel imports, according to a new analysis.

The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reports that Australia has imported more than $3.7 billion worth of fuel refined from Russian-origin crude.