EU expands sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet, blacklisting dozens of vessels
Photo: EU expands sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet (Getty Images)
The European Council has imposed sanctions on 41 vessels that are part of Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers, according to the European Union magazine.
These 41 vessels are now subject to a ban on access to ports and a ban on the provision of a wide range of services related to maritime transport.
“ This measure is intended to target non-EU tankers that are part of Putin’s shadow fleet circumventing the oil price cap mechanism or support the energy sector of Russia, or vessels that are responsible for transporting military equipment for Russia or involved in the transport of stolen Ukrainian grain and cultural goods from Ukraine,” the EU said.
Following today's package of sanctions, the total number of identified shadow fleet vessels subject to economic restrictions has risen to almost 600.
“The EU remains ready to step up pressure on Russia and its shadow fleet value chain, including by adopting further sanctions,” the European Council added.
Sanctions against the Russian shadow fleet
On December 15, the European Council imposed new sanctions against nine individuals and organizations that contribute to the functioning of Russia's shadow fleet.
The list includes businessmen linked to Russian state oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, which control ships transporting crude oil and petroleum products of Russian origin. According to the EU, they concealed the true origin of the cargo and used illegal and risky transportation methods.
Sanctions have also been imposed on shipping companies based in the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Russia. These are the owners and operators of tankers that are part of the Russian shadow fleet and have already been subject to restrictive measures by the EU or other countries.
In October 2025, the EU officially approved the 19th package of sanctions against Russia. The restrictions were aimed at reducing the Kremlin's revenues and preventing the circumvention of sanctions through third countries, as well as targeting the shadow fleet.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, almost one in six tankers in the world is currently part of Russia's shadow fleet — that's about 17% of all active vessels of this type.
