Ukraine and allies unite against Russia's shadow fleet: Sanctions under discussion
Photo: Russian shadow fleet (illustrative photo by GettyImages)
Ukraine, together with its Western allies, is working on finding arguments to impose sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet, which continues to operate around restrictions on oil transportation, according to an RBC-Ukraine article titled "Putin's shadow fleet: How Russia is making money from oil trade and how the West reacts."
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, stated that sanctions require legal and political arguments. Western countries have made considerable efforts to implement a price cap and are displeased that Russia is relatively easily circumventing these restrictions.
"Suffice it to say, in most jurisdictions, we believe this poses a national security threat to us. Because they make money there, for example, to wage war against Ukraine," Vlasiuk said.
several coordination meetings have already taken place on the restrictions of the Russian fleet based on the European Political Community and with the participation of the United States.
The commissioner explained that participants are focused on data sharing and setting common goals to restrict the activities of the Russian fleet, particularly in the Baltic Sea, which remains an important route for 60% of Russia's oil exports.
Legal restrictions
Additional legal frameworks are being sought to restrict oil transportation, including arguments related to environmental risks. There have been several incidents involving Russian tankers that could have led to oil spills, but disasters were avoided.
Experts emphasize the challenges due to the principle of freedom of navigation in international law but continue to work on restrictions for the shadow fleet to mitigate its negative impact on global security and the environment.
Russian oil exports
The maritime exports of Russian oil products to Asia nearly doubled in July compared to the previous month, reaching a record 1.1 million tons.
At the same time, Russian oil exports from major Western ports dropped to the lowest level in nearly 20 months last month.
Additionally, it was reported that Russia significantly reduced oil production in July, approaching the OPEC+ quota.
