European parliament calls for tougher measures against Russia's shadow fleet

Russia is using old tankers to export crude oil and oil products abroad despite sanctions imposed by the EU, the G7, and international organizations. This raises concerns about the risk of environmental disasters, including major oil spills. Additionally, it provides the enemy with funding for its war against Ukraine.

In a resolution, Members of the European Parliament call for:

• More targeted measures against these vessels in the next EU sanctions packages.
• Systematic sanctioning of vessels sailing through EU waters without known insurance.
• Enhance its surveillance capabilities, especially drone and satellite monitoring.
• Conduct targeted inspections at sea.

"MEPs want EU member states to designate ports capable of handling sanctioned vessels carrying crude oil and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and to seize illegal cargo without compensation," it is stated on the website.

The resolution also calls on G7 countries to:

• Enforce the price cap imposed on Russian seaborne oil, to substantially decrease the oil price cap.
• Crackdown on the loopholes used by Russia to repackage and sell its oil and oil products at market prices.

Russia's shadow fleet

Russia's "shadow fleet" is an unofficial network of tankers and other vessels used to transport Russian oil in defiance of international sanctions imposed due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These ships are typically owned by offshore companies, change flags, and disable transponders, which allows them to hide their routes and final recipients of the cargo. This illegal system enables Russia to continue exporting energy resources, maintaining profits that can be used to fund military operations.

Recently, the UK announced its largest sanctions package targeting Russia’s oil tanker shadow fleet.