India, May 19 -- India has been purchasing Russian oil irrespective of US sanctions waivers and will continue to do so based on commercial viability and energy security needs, a senior petroleum ministry official said on Monday.

"Regarding the American waiver on Russia, I would like to emphasise that we have been purchasing from Russia earlier... before waiver also, during waiver also, and now also," Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the petroleum ministry, told reporters at a media briefing.

Sharma said India's crude sourcing decisions were driven primarily by commercial considerations and adequate supply availability.

"It is basically the commercial sense which should be there for us to purchase," she said, adding that there was no s...