Russia is now India's top oil supplier, overtaking Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as Moscow looks to replace the EU as a customer

According to data from energy firm Vortexa, Russia became India's top crude supplier last month.

In October, India's crude imports from Russia increased 8% to 946,000 barrels a day, accounting for 22% of the country's total crude imports. That was above both Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

In October, India brought in more Russian crude than the EU did.

China imported 1 million crude barrels a day in October.

Russia has moved away from European markets in the last four years. Russia has had to sell its energy at deep discounts to Asian buyers.

There will be new EU sanctions on December 5. A proposed price cap would prevent European companies from giving Russian oil above a certain price.

Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Puri told CNN on Monday that buyers had a "moral duty" to keep the population supplied with energy.

Even as a "dark fleet" of ships is poised to move supplies under the radar, the CEO of the world's largest independent energy trader predicted this week that Russia's exports could drop by as much as 1 million barrels per day.

Russell said in an interview with the Financial Times that almost all European companies will turn their backs on business that is not compliant. Russia is eating away at the problem with their logistical solutions. We don't know if they have eaten away at the problem.