US President Donald Trump announced on 9 October that he had struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import significant quantities of Russian diesel into the United States.
Trump stated that Russia would immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and another 1,000,000 tons soon after. He added that, depending on the condition of their refineries, Russia could deliver up to 3,000,000 tons of diesel fuel thereafter. This announcement was made on his platform, Truth Social.
The following day, the pro-Russian account Russian Market claimed on X that diesel was already being delivered to America, alleging that the Minerva Zen, an oil and chemical tanker, was transporting nearly 280,000 barrels of diesel from Russia. The post featured a map detailing its route, purportedly starting from Saint Petersburg on 22 September.
However, this claim has been proven false. While the Minerva Zen did depart from Saint Petersburg on 23 September, it was not carrying diesel. It docked in Wilmington, North Carolina, on the night of 11/12 October.
According to Tanker Trackers, a specialist in oil tanker monitoring, the Minerva Zen was transporting urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), a type of fertiliser, not diesel. The company highlighted that when the US imposed sanctions on Russia in early 2022, fertiliser imports were still permitted.
Tanker Trackers added that the Minerva Zen was not unloaded at the petrol terminal in Wilmington, where diesel would typically be delivered. Instead, it docked at the agricultural and chemical products terminal. The vessel’s owner, Minerva Marine, confirmed to a local TV station that the tanker was indeed carrying fertiliser.
This misinformation regarding the diesel shipment gained traction, amassing over 570,000 views on X and was reported by various media outlets, including in Nigeria.
