Russia has become the main supplier of crude oil to Syria, despite attempts by the country’s new government to improve relations with the West and growing distrust of Moscow after its support for Bashar al-Assad’s regime. This was reported by Reuters, citing vessel tracking data and official sources.
Source: Bukvy
According to the agency’s estimates, in 2026 supplies of Russian oil to Syria increased by 75% and reached about 60,000 barrels per day. Although this is a small share of Russia’s total exports, for Syria these volumes make Russia a key supplier.
Analysts note that such dependence is due to Damascus’s limited economic capabilities. Despite the lifting of some sanctions by the United States and the EU, the country remains weakly integrated into the global financial system.
Experts and Syrian officials emphasize that cooperation with Russia is a forced step, which at the same time strengthens Moscow’s influence in Syria, where it maintains naval and air bases.
At the same time, such trade may complicate Syria’s relations with the West and create risks of renewed sanctions. Economist Karam Shaar notes that in the absence of agreements between the United States and Russia on Ukraine, Washington may demand that Damascus stop purchasing Russian oil.
The Syrian authorities are trying to diversify supplies, but so far unsuccessfully. In particular, it has not been possible to conclude an agreement with Turkey. Due to financial constraints and high commercial risks, the country is forced to rely on supply networks linked to Russia.
According to Reuters, in 2025 Russia supplied 16.8 million barrels of oil to Syria, and in 2026 volumes increased to approximately 60,000 barrels per day. At the same time, a significant part of transportation is carried out by sanctioned vessels, often using ship-to-ship transfer schemes to conceal the origin of the cargo.
Until 2025, Iran was the main supplier of crude oil to Syria, but after the fall of the Assad regime, these supplies stopped.
Syria’s domestic production remains limited — about 35,000 barrels per day with a demand of up to 150,000. The deficit is partially covered by Russian oil and smuggled supplies.
Thus, despite political changes, Syria remains dependent on Russian energy resources, which affects both its economy and its foreign policy course.
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