<h1>US sanctions on major Russian crude producers force global buyers to wind down deals by Nov 21, raising import costs</h1> US sanctions targeting two major Russian crude producers bar US persons and risk penalizing non-US firms dealing with those entities, requiring winding down of affected transactions by the November 21 deadline. Indian refiners, especially large private-term contract holders, face legal and commercial disruption: direct supply contracts with sanctioned exporters will likely be curtailed to avoid secondary sanctions, prompting increased procurement from the Middle East, the Americas and third-party intermediaries. Compliance-driven shifts raise exposure to higher freight and market-priced crude, increasing import costs. State-owned refiners are expected to further minimise direct Russian dealings, while indirect trade and contractual restructuring remain likely mitigation strategies.