Russian shadow fleet

WSJ: Kremlin elites may force Putin to negotiate as war drags into fourth year

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin may face growing pressure from Kremlin allies and oligarchs weary of his war against Ukraine to come to the negotiating table, according to Amy Knight, a U.S. historian and author of The Kremlin’s Noose: Putin’s Bitter Feud with the Oligarch Who Made Him Ruler of Russia. She outlines the risks in a recent article for The Wall Street Journal.

12 January, 02:40 PM

US to charge crew of seized Russian-flag tanker

The U.S. Justice Department is preparing to bring criminal charges against crew members of the Bella 1 oil tanker, which was detained in the Atlantic Ocean on Jan. 7 for violating U.S. sanctions, Attorney General Pamela Bondi wrote on X.

8 January, 09:51 AM

U.S. seizes Venezuela-linked oil tanker after two-week chase near Russian warships

The United States has seized an oil tanker linked to Venezuela following a two-week pursuit across the Atlantic, Reuters reported on Jan. 7, citing two U.S. officials.

7 January, 05:15 PM

Ukraine to sanction Chinese figures linked to Russia’s military industry

Ukraine will introduce a new sanctions package against Russia by the end of the year, including restrictions on Chinese individuals involved in Russia’s military industry, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, Dec. 22.

22 December 2025, 02:46 PM

Russian shadow fleet tanker nearly sinks after drone strike in Rostov-on-Don

A Russian shadow fleet tanker, Valeriy Gorchakov, was left almost completely submerged after its stern was hit by drones, according to photos published by the monitoring Telegram channel Krymsky Veter.

22 December 2025, 11:50 AM

EU sanctions 41 Russian tankers in crackdown on Kremlin’s shadow oil fleet

The European Council has imposed sanctions on 41 vessels identified as part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, including oil tankers that generate revenue for the country’s energy sector, the Council said in an official statement on Dec. 18.

18 December 2025, 03:52 PM

Russia deploys armed guards to protect shadow fleet

The Swedish Navy has observed armed personnel on board Russian “shadow fleet” vessels operating in the Baltic Sea, Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT reported on Dec. 15, citing military officials.

17 December 2025, 08:17 AM

Ukraine imposes largest sanctions package yet on Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ — Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree enacting the National Security and Defense Council’s decision to impose sanctions on 656 maritime vessels that are part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, he said on Dec. 13.

13 December 2025, 10:30 PM

Ukraine seizes ship in Odesa linked to Russia’s shadow fleet smuggling grain from occupied Crimea

Ukraine’s SBU Security Service detained and arrested a foreign vessel in the port of Odesa after identifying it as part of Russia’s so‑called “shadow fleet” used to illegally export Ukrainian agricultural products from temporarily occupied Crimea, the agency said on Dec. 10.

10 December 2025, 12:47 PM

Russian tanker Midvolga 2 reportedly hit by drone 80 miles off Yalta - photos

Photos, allegedly showing the aftermath of an attack on the Russian tanker Midvolga 2 in the Black Sea, have appeared online on the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Mash on Dec. 2.

2 December 2025, 02:15 PM

Kazakhstan, Türkiye protest Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian oil tankers in Black Sea

Kazakhstan and Türkiye condemned recent Ukrainian Defense Forces strikes in the Black Sea targeting an oil terminal and the sanctioned Russian oil tankers KAIRO and VIRAT, which are part of Russia’s “shadow fleet.”

30 November 2025, 01:35 PM

Ukraine’s Sea Baby drones disable two Russian shadow-fleet tankers in Black Sea operation

Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) Sea Baby maritime drones, operating in a joint mission with Ukraine’s Navy, struck two sanctioned Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, sources within the SBU told NV on Nov. 29.

29 November 2025, 03:02 PM

EU preparing 20th sanctions package against Russia – Kallas

The European Union is preparing its 20th package of sanctions against Russia, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Nov. 14 after a meeting in Berlin with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, DW reported.

15 November 2025, 10:38 AM

New Zealand insurer secretly aided Russia’s shadow fleet in $17B oil shipments

A New Zealand insurance company, Maritime Mutual, helped transport sanctioned oil from Russia and Iran, Reuters reported on Oct. 28.

29 October 2025, 10:20 AM

Over 500 Russian tankers operating outside sanctions — Zelenskyy

Russian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia’s shadow fleet includes more than 500 tankers delivering oil while circumventing international sanctions. He made the statement during a briefing with journalists on Oct. 8, Suspilne reported.

9 October 2025, 02:10 PM

Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ used for sabotage and intelligence operations, Zelenskyy says

Besides circumventing international oil sanctions, Moscow uses its “shadow fleet” of tankers to carry out reconnaissance and sabotage operations across northern Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Oct. 7.

7 October 2025, 09:55 PM

Russia expands shadow fleet of nearly 1,000 tankers to skirt sanctions

Russia has built a vast sanctions-evasion network by creating a so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, The New York Times reported on Sept. 22.

22 September 2025, 11:15 AM

Russian shadow tanker Unity held in Murmansk over unpaid crew wages

Russian sailors are reporting that their employer has failed to pay them, prompting authorities in the port of Murmansk to detain the tanker Unity, which operates under the flag of Lesotho and is part of the Kremlin’s so-called shadow fleet, The Moscow Times reported on Sept. 1.

2 September 2025, 02:10 PM

Finland charges crew of Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker over Baltic Sea cable damage

Finland’s prosecutor’s office has charged crew members of the Russian “shadow fleet” vessel Eagle S with sabotage and gross disruption of telecommunications, Finnish outlet Yle reported on Aug. 11.

11 August 2025, 06:56 PM

Sweden and Denmark begin inspecting Russian tankers — Foreign Policy

Sweden and Denmark have joined Germany in requiring insurance documentation from tankers transiting their territorial waters in the Baltic Sea — a move aimed at curbing the operations of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, the industry outlet Enkorr.ua reported on July 7, citing Foreign Policy.

7 July 2025, 03:33 PM

Russian shadow fleet

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