India says it has been buying Russian oil irrespective of American sanctions waivers

The Centre on Monday said that it has been purchasing Russian oil irrespective of the US sanctions.

"Regarding the American waiver on Russia, ​I ⁠would like to emphasize that we have been purchasing from ⁠Russia ‌earlier...I mean before waiver also, during ‌waiver also, and ⁠now also," ⁠Sujata Sharma, a ‌joint secretary ​in the petroleum ministry, said during a presser.

"It ‌is basically ‌the commercial sense which ‌should be ‌there for us to purchase...There is no shortage ⁠of ⁠crude. Enough crude has been tied up repeatedly...and this, whatever waiver or no waiver, it ​will not affect," she ​added.

Meanwhile, the US on Saturday allowed ​a sanctions waiver to lapse that had previously allowed countries including India to buy Russian seaborne oil after a month-long extension aimed at easing ⁠oil supply shortages and high prices due to Iran's closure of ⁠the Strait of Hormuz.

India is the top consumer of ​Russian seaborne crude, and its ​purchases have been near record highs in April and May following previous sanctions ​waivers.

(With Reuters inputs)