On October 21, Reuters reported that Russia delivered its first batch of oil to a Georgian refinery, marking a new phase in bilateral energy cooperation. According to vessel tracking data and industry sources, the tanker Kayseri transported 105,340 tonnes of Russian Siberian Light crude oil from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk to Georgia’s Kulevi oil terminal on October 6. The terminal supplies a refinery owned by the private company Black Sea Petroleum, which began operations in October 2025. The plant’s initial refining capacity is around 1.2 million tonnes per year, with plans to expand to 4 million tonnes annually by 2028 for both export and domestic use. RussNeft and Black Sea Petroleum declined to comment on the development. Reuters noted that with the launch of its first oil refinery, Georgia aimed to reduce fuel imports from Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Romania, and Kazakhstan.

The Revenue Service of the Georgian Ministry of Finance confirmed the arrival of the Russian oil shipment, explaining that on October 2, "the KAYSERI vessel, flying the Panama flag, entered the seaport of Kulevi from a port in the Russian Federation, loaded with up to 10,000 tons of crude oil shipped from a Russian company". The agency refrained from naming the involved companies, citing confidentiality and tax regulations. Following inspections by the Maritime Transport Agency of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Revenue Service, it was confirmed that neither the vessel nor the companies involved were under international sanctions. "Based on this, the cargo was unloaded in a temporary customs warehouse for further customs control procedures," the statement read. The Revenue Service and the Maritime Transport Agency emphasized that both agencies conduct continuous, coordinated monitoring of vessels and ship owners for compliance with international sanctions. They underlined that any vessel or owner appearing on a sanctions list is prohibited from entering Georgian ports or undergoing customs clearance procedures.