EU Seeks “Creative” Tactics to Rein In Russia’s Shadow Tanker Fleet
Luxembourg: The European Union is searching for new and “creative” ways to curb Russia’s vast shadow fleet, hundreds of ageing oil tankers quietly ferrying sanctioned crude across the world to fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine, according to Agency France Press.
The 27-member bloc has already blacklisted hundreds of vessels tied to sanction evasion but admits enforcement remains patchy. France, which recently detained one such tanker, is now urging tougher, coordinated action.
At a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Brussels is in talks with member states to expand inspection powers and explore agreements with countries where these ships are registered, such as Panama and Liberia.
“We are discussing how to better coordinate our actions regarding the shadow fleet,” Kallas said. “We should think about it more, to be more creative.”
A draft proposal seen by AFP suggests giving Brussels the authority to negotiate pre-approved boarding rights with so-called flag states. Such deals would allow inspectors to check ships suspected of breaching sanctions more efficiently.
The EU estimates Russia’s shadow fleet to number between 600 and 1,400 tankers—many of them old, uninsured, and sailing under flags of convenience to obscure ownership.
Countries bordering the Baltic Sea have complained that their Mediterranean counterparts are not doing enough to inspect Russian-linked vessels. But EU officials remain cautious, fearing aggressive enforcement could prompt other nations to target European ships abroad.
Still, Brussels notes some progress: Panama, one of the world’s largest ship registries, has agreed to delist vessels under EU sanctions—a small but symbolic victory in the bloc’s effort to tighten the noose around Russia’s shadow trade.
