Russia has shipped a diesel cargo to Syria aboard a US-sanctioned tanker, marking the first known direct supply of its kind in more than a decade, according to LSEG data.

The final destination of the shipment remains unclear. Russia maintains two key military installations in Syria: an air base in Hmeimim and a naval base in Tartus, both of which are crucial for Moscow's strategic influence in the Middle East and Africa. Moscow has asserted its intent to retain its hold over the facilities despite the regime change in Syria.

LSEG data indicates that the Barbados-flagged vessel Prosperity (formerly known as the Gabon-flagged NS Pride) was loaded with approximately 37,000 metric tons of ultra-low sulfur diesel at the Russian Baltic port of Primorsk on February 8.

The tanker, managed by the Dubai-based Fornax Ship Management, is currently anchored near the Syrian port of Banias, according to LSEG shipping data. Fornax itself is also under US sanctions. The company has not provided an immediate response to requests for comment.

US sanctions on Russia

Since the start of the Ukraine war, the United States has imposed extensive sanctions on Russia, including measures aimed at restricting revenue from its oil and gas industry to weaken its military funding.

On January 10, the US added Prosperity to its list of sanctioned vessels involved in exporting Russian oil products. The European Union and the United Kingdom followed suit on February 24.

Violations of US sanctions could result in civil and, in some cases, criminal penalties. In a notable instance, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) reached a $7.45 million settlement last year with State Street Bank over "apparent violations" of Russia- and Ukraine-related sanctions.

Simultaneously, the US issued a six-month waiver to its Syria sanctions, specifically targeting the energy sector and financial transactions with Syrian governing authorities.

Officials from Syria's oil ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Russia's energy ministry also declined to comment.

According to LSEG data, this marks the first direct diesel shipment from Russia to Syria since at least 2013. Meanwhile, Syria has issued an import tender for 20,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and is seeking additional oil imports, as crude shipments from its key supplier, Iran, have not arrived since November, according to data from shipping analytics firm Kpler.