Cash-strapped Sri Lanka takes Russia oil as fuel crisis persists

The sole refinery is set to receive crude today, enabling its restart after 2 months

Sri Lanka is receiving Russian crude oil that it will use to make fuel as the bankrupt nation faces crippling shortages of everything from gasoline to diesel. 

The Russian grade of Siberian Light will be processed at Ceylon Petroleum’s refinery in Sapugaskanda, Chairman Sumith Wijesinghe said in a phone interview. The country’s sole refinery is set to receive crude today, enabling its restart for the first time in over two months, according to its power and energy minister in an earlier tweet. 

Sri Lanka is the latest Asian nation to accept Russian crude after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine prompted widespread condemnation and