The oil giant Shell has apologised after buying a shipment of Russian oil last week at a discounted price as it pledged to end its relationship with oil, gas and petroleum from the country, reports Reuters.
Chief executive, Ben van Beurden, said:
We are acutely aware that our decision last week to purchase a cargo of Russian crude oil to be refined into products like petrol and diesel – despite being made with security of supplies at the forefront of our thinking – was not the right one and we are sorry.
The company said it will immediately stop all spot purchases of Russian crude oil and close its service stations, aviation fuel and lubricants operations in the country.
It said it would withdraw from other associations with Russia “in a phased manner, aligned with new government guidance”.
It comes after multiple major international companies’ withdrawal from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.