““Twelve countries agreed to stop Russia’s “shadow fleet” to prevent illegal operations and increase Russia’s spending on the war against Ukraine””, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
“Russia uses its “shadow fleet” to circumvent sanctions and soften their impact on Russia. “Twelve countries have agreed to stop Russia’s “shadow fleet” to prevent illegal operations and increase Russia’s spending on the war against Ukraine,” the statement said.
The UK, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland and Estonia are reportedly instructing their navies to require appropriate proof of insurance from suspected shadow vessels passing through the English Channel, the Danish Straits of the Great Belt, the Denmark-Sweden Strait and the Gulf of Finland.
On December 16, the Council of the EU adopted the 15th package of economic and individual restrictive measures “in order to further limit Russia’s ability to wage an illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine.”
According to the representative of the EU for foreign relations and security policy, Vice President of the European Commission Kai Callas, “the sanctions are designed to counteract the circumvention of EU sanctions by targeting the “shadow fleet” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and to weaken the Russian military-industrial complex.”
The administration of US President Joe Biden is also considering new sanctions targeting the “shadow fleet” that Russia uses to transport oil, the report said. According to Bloomberg sources, the White House may announce these measures in the coming weeks
Russia uses old tankers – often uninsured and with unclear ownership – to export crude oil and petroleum products abroad, despite EU and G7 sanctions. This activity also raises concerns about the risk of environmental disasters, including major oil spills. As part of the Russian Federation’s systematic efforts to circumvent the EU, the “shadow fleet” provides a key financial basis for Russia in its war against Ukraine.