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Japan's Idemitsu says it bought cargo of Russian crude oil

TASS · · 517 words

The article reports on the purchase of Russian crude oil from Sakhalin by Japanese companies Idemitsu and Taiyo Oil to diversify energy sources. It discusses Japan's reliance on Middle Eastern oil and the potential for resuming Russian imports amid regional tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://tass.com/economy/2128473

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 90%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

14 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 8
schedule Pending 4
report Misleading 1
cancel Disputed 1
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“Japanese oil company Idemitsu has purchased a Russian crude oil run from Sakhalin”
CORROBORATED
The claim is reported by TASS and corroborated by a web search result explicitly stating Idemitsu purchased a Russian crude oil run from Sakhalin.
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web search NEUTRAL — Japanese oil company Idemitsu has purchased a Russian crude oil run from Sakhalin as part of its efforts to diversify its import sources, the company's press service told TASS.
https://tass.com/economy/2128473
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web search NEUTRAL — Japanese oil refiners may buy Russian crude from the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project, if needed, to secure a stable supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the president of the Petroleum Association of …
https://www.naturalgasworld.com/japan-may-buy-russian-oil-fr…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Russian crude will not be subjected to US and European sanctions imposed after the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. The tanker left Sakhalin in late April, according to Marine Traffic.…
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/japan-to-purchase-russian-c…
+ 1 more evidence source
report
“the Voyager tanker carrying Russian oil in Tokyo Bay, where Idemitsu's refinery is located”
MISLEADING
While the tanker Voyager arrived in Tokyo Bay, the evidence indicates it had previously delivered oil to Taiyo Oil in Ehime, and the specific delivery to Idemitsu in Tokyo Bay is mentioned by TASS, but other sources link the Voyager specifically to Taiyo Oil's refinery in Ehime.
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web search NEUTRAL — Idemitsu began importing naphtha (an intermediate oil product) first from the United States and later from Venezuela and Iran. The protectionist Oil Industry Law helped Idemitsu against foreign compet…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idemitsu_Kosan
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web search NEUTRAL — Tankers from Russia arrive in Japan. - The Omani-flagged tanker Voyager, which had previously delivered a cargo of Russian oil to the Japanese company Taiyo Oil refinery on Shikoku Island, arrived in …
https://tass.com/economy/2128607
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web search NEUTRAL — Tokyo, May 3 (Jiji Press)--The first tanker carrying Russian crude oil since the closure of the Strait of Horm…The tanker will deliver crude oil imported by Taiyo Oil Co. to the Japanese company's ref…
https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2026050200348/tanker-carry…
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“Sakhalin Blend crude oil for Japan is not subject to sanctions”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Sakhalin Blend crude exported to Japan is not subject to the G7 price cap or sanctions due to its critical importance.
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web search NEUTRAL — It includes development of the Piltun-Astokhskoye oil field and the Lunskoye natural gas field offshore Sakhalin Island in the Okhotsk Sea, and associated infrastructure onshore. The project is manage…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakhalin-II
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web search NEUTRAL — Japanese oil company Idemitsu has purchased a Russian crude oil run from Sakhalin as part of its efforts to diversify its import sources, the company's press service told TASS.
https://tass.com/economy/2128473
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web search NEUTRAL — Japanese refiner Taiyo Oil has taken a cargo of Sakhalin Blend crude, the country's first delivery of Russian oil since early 2023, in a bid to.Its export to Japan is not subject to the G7's "price ca…
https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news…
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“Japan stopped importing Russian oil after February 2022”
CORROBORATED
Both TASS and a 'FACTBOX' web result confirm that Japan banned/stopped imports of Russian oil after February 2022.
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web search NEUTRAL — Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature known as the National Diet. Widely considered a great power and the only Asian member of the G7, it maintains one of the world's stronge…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
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web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Japan is an island country lying off the east coast of Asia. It consists of a string of islands in a northeast-southwest arc that stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) through…
https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan
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web search NEUTRAL — The official site of Japan National Tourism Organization is your ultimate Japan guide with tourist information for Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hokkaido and other top Japan holiday destinations.
https://www.japan.travel/en/
+ 1 more evidence source
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“Japan... joining the price cap mechanism initiated by Western countries”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by TASS and a 'FACTBOX' web result stating Japan joined the Western-initiated price cap mechanism.
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web search NEUTRAL — - Japan has banned imports of Russian oil after February 2022. - The country later joined the "price cap" mechanism initiated by Western countries.
https://tass.com/economy/2128607
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web search NEUTRAL — Quora is a place to gain and share knowledge. It's a platform to ask questions and connect with people who contribute unique insights and quality answers. This empowers people to learn from each other…
https://www.quora.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Urals oil is the reference oil brand used as the price benchmark for Russian oil exports. It is a blend of the heavy and sour oil from the Urals and Volga regions with the lighter oil from Western Sib…
https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/urals-oil
+ 1 more evidence source
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“certain cargoes from the Sakhalin-2 project tied to LNG supply contracts... is exempt from the sanctions regime”
CORROBORATED
OilPrice.com and Natural Gas News both confirm that the Sakhalin-2 project is exempt from sanctions to ensure LNG and crude supply.
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web search NEUTRAL — Sakhalin-2 includes the first liquefied natural gas plant in Russia. The development is situated in areas previously little touched by human activity, causing various groups to criticize the developme…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakhalin-II
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web search NEUTRAL — In fairness, the Sakhalin-2 project has been exempted from sanctions precisely because of the importance of this source of crude for Japan, which also has participation in the management of the projec…
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russian-O…
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web search NEUTRAL — Natural Gas News. Japan to take all steps to ensure uninterrupted Sakhalin-2 LNG supply from Russia.Separately, the president of Osaka Gas, a buyer of Sakhalin-2 LNG, said the new U.S. sanctions will …
https://www.minoils.com/japan-to-take-all-steps-to-ensure-un…
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“Japanese companies last purchased Russian oil from Sakhalin in June 2025”
DISPUTED
The claim states the last purchase was in June 2025. However, the evidence describes current events (Voyager departing in April, arriving in May) and mentions sanctions exemptions until 2025. A date of June 2025 is in the future relative to the reported events of April/May, making the claim chronologically impossible as a past event.
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web search NEUTRAL — Terms of service Privacy statement Support © 2026 LastPass, Inc. All rights reserved.
https://app.lastpass.com/?ac=1
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of LAST is to continue in time. How to use last in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Last.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/last
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web search NEUTRAL — LAST definition: occurring or coming after all others, as in time, order, or place. See examples of last used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/last
+ 1 more evidence source
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“the Omani-flagged tanker Voyager... departed from a port on Sakhalin in late April”
CORROBORATED
The New Voice of Ukraine and TASS (via the FACTBOX) confirm the Omani-flagged tanker Voyager departed Sakhalin in late April.
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web search NEUTRAL — “The Omani-flagged tanker Voyager has departed from the southern tip of Sakhalin Island and is expected to dock in Japan's Ehime prefecture on Sunday, according to MarineTraffic,” the report said.
https://english.nv.ua/business/japan-resumes-russian-oil-pur…
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web search NEUTRAL — Gulf of Oman. A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fired on an Iranian-flagged vessel attempting to breach the naval blockade, according to CENTCOM. The tanker is "no longer transiting to Iran" after the r…
https://iran.liveuamap.com/en/2026/8-may-14-centcom-us-force…
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web search NEUTRAL — 30-day voyage history and route map for ENERGY ADVANCE (IMO 9269180). Track positions, speed, and port calls. ENERGY ADVANCE. IMO 9269180 Japan LNG Tanker Voyage History — last 30 days.
https://tankermap.com/vessel/9269180/voyage
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“In early May, it arrived at the port of Kikuma on Shikoku Island, where Taiyo Oil's refinery is located”
CORROBORATED
Although the specific 'evidence' section for claim 8 is empty, the evidence provided for claim 1 (Nippon.com) explicitly states the tanker will deliver crude imported by Taiyo Oil to its refinery facility in Ehime Prefecture (where Kikuma port is located).
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“Taiyo Oil... had purchased a shipment of Russian oil”
CORROBORATED
Nippon.com and the TASS FACTBOX both confirm that Taiyo Oil purchased a shipment of Russian oil.
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“Japan has received over 90% of its oil imports via this route [Strait of Hormuz] in recent years”
PENDING
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“Japan has imported approximately 95% of its oil from the Middle East”
PENDING
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“Japan has also begun drawing down its strategic reserves”
PENDING
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“Muneo Suzuki, a member of the upper house of parliament from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.