Ukraine passes bill to sanction Russian shadow fleet
Ukraine passes bill to sanction Russian shadow fleet (Getty Images)
Ukraine's Parliament has passed a bill imposing sanctions on vessels of Russia's shadow fleet, according to MP Oleksiy Honcharenko's update on the bill's legislative card.
According to Honcharenko, 291 members of parliament voted in favor of the bill.
Under the legislation, in addition to the shadow fleet, sanctions can also be imposed on vessels and aircraft transporting weapons or military personnel. These violations will be documented by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and the data will be entered into the State Sanctions Register.
According to the authors of the bill, current Ukrainian legislation allows sanctions to be imposed on legal entities and individuals, but not on vessels or aircraft.
The introduction of sanctions and seizures targeting Russian vessels and aircraft is expected to enhance Ukraine's security and limit the Kremlin's ability to finance its war effort through shadow shipments.
The bill also stipulates that sanctions may be applied if vessels are found to be involved in activities that pose real or potential threats to Ukraine's national interests, security, sovereignty, or territorial integrity.
Sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet
As previously reported, hundreds of covert oil tankers sail under flags of convenience and with opaque ownership structures to transport oil in violation of international sanctions against Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
According to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (HUR), as of February, Russia's shadow fleet included up to 1,000 mostly outdated vessels, with a combined deadweight exceeding 100 million tons, used to export oil and petroleum products.
In May, the European Union adopted its 17th sanctions package against Russia, targeting nearly 200 ships from the so-called shadow fleet.
In June, the UK government introduced a new set of sanctions aimed at Russia's shadow fleet and companies supporting the Kremlin's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Australia also imposed restrictions on Russi's shadow fleet for the first time, sanctioning dozens of tankers involved in financing Moscow's military campaign.
More on what Russia's shadow fleet is — in the full report by RBC-Ukraine.
