Russia launches Vostok Oil exports via Northern Sea Route to Asia

Russia has begun commercial oil exports from the Vostok Oil project on the Taymyr Peninsula, shipping initial cargoes via ice-class tankers through the Northern Sea Route to Asia. This marks the largest new oil development since the Soviet era, potentially boosting Russian crude supply to Asian markets despite Western sanctions. The project's scale and Arctic logistics raise questions about cost, infrastructure resilience, and long-term output capacity.