““Shadow fleet” of the Russian Federation continues to spill oil off the coast of Europe – mediaFive tankers from Russia’s sanctions-evading armada have left oil slicks off the coast of Europe. This highlights the continent’s
inability to curb Moscow’s shadow fleet.
”, — write: unn.ua
DetailsAccording to a joint investigation by the non-profit journalistic group SourceMaterial and POLITICO, last year at least five tankers from Russia’s sanctions-evading armada continued to sail unhindered in European waters after leaving oil slicks off the continent.
Two of these vessels were sanctioned by the UK even before they left oil slicks.
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These new revelations, based on satellite imagery from the NGO SkyTruth and shipping data from the commodity platform Kpler, were a 2024 POLITICO investigation documenting oil spills by Russia’s shadow fleet. They underscore the difficulties Western governments face in trying to limit Russian oil exports and minimize the risk of environmental catastrophe in their waters.
These incidents are a “huge problem,” said Latvian Energy Minister Kaspars Melnis. “We are very lucky that there is no environmental catastrophe happening right now.”
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AddendumThe publication notes that in 2022, the Group of Seven industrialized countries imposed a price cap on Russia’s global oil sales, which account for about a quarter of the Russian budget.
Since then, Moscow has increasingly supplied its oil on a growing fleet of underinsured, unreliable tankers with opaque ownership structures. This shadow fleet now numbers 1,300 vessels, according to maritime analytics firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence, and has been linked to massive oil spills and damage to critical underwater infrastructure.
European governments have imposed sanctions on individual tankers, with Brussels currently blacklisting 444 vessels, banning them from docking in EU ports or using Western services. There is also hope that these measures will encourage non-EU governments where the tankers are registered, known as flag states, to ban their operation. The UK has sanctioned 450 vessels.
Experts warn that the dilapidated state of the tankers makes them more prone to accidents and collisions, and their unclear ownership makes them untraceable and unaccountable to Western authorities.