shadow fleet

France detains tanker sailing from Russia under fake flag

French navy detained Grinch oil tanker in the Alboran Sea, the western part of the Mediterranean, while it was sailing from Russia’s port of Murmansk under what authorities say was a false flag, Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture wrote on Jan. 22.

23 January, 08:16 AM

France confirms Mediterranean seizure of Russian oil tanker sailing under false flag

The French Navy seized the oil tanker Grinch in the Alboran Sea, near Gibraltar, after discovering it was sailing under a false flag, France’s Mediterranean maritime prefecture said on Jan. 22.

23 January, 05:31 AM

Another Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker seized in Caribbean

The United States military has detained the Russian-linked oil tanker Sagitta in the Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said on Jan. 20.

21 January, 02:28 AM

Germany forces Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker to turn away from Baltic Sea

Arcusat, an oil tanker registered in maritime databases as “never existed,” reversed course en route to German territorial waters in the Baltic Sea and is now heading toward Russia’s Arctic coast, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 16.

16 January, 09:23 PM

U.S. plans to intercept sanctioned Russian oil tanker—report

The United States intends to intercept a Russian oil tanker previously bound for Venezuela, CNN reported on Jan. 6, citing four people familiar with planning.

6 January, 09:53 PM

Russia abuses maritime law to protect its oil tankers—report

Moscow is exploiting the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to give legal cover to its oil smuggling and sabotage operations in Europe, UK newspaper The Telegraph said in an article published on Dec. 19.

20 December 2025, 03:26 AM

EU imposes new sanctions on businessmen and firms backing Russia’s shadow fleet

The European Union Council imposed sanctions on five individuals and four organizations accused of supporting Russia’s so-called shadow fleet on Dec. 15.

15 December 2025, 06:47 PM

Ukraine striking Russian oil tankers raises no objections in Washington—report

The administration of President Donald Trump has effectively permitted Ukraine to start attacking oil tankers transporting Russian crude in violation of international sanctions, The Atlantic reported on Dec. 12, citing U.S. and Ukrainian officials.

13 December 2025, 01:16 AM

Russia struggles to protect its shadow fleet tankers

Russia’s shadow fleet of old, uninsured tankers used to evade sanctions is increasingly suffering damage and destruction, revealing how vulnerable this covert logistics network has become.

12 December 2025, 10:26 AM

Ukraine warns Turkey of Russian ship carrying stolen grain

Kyiv has notified the Turkish government of a cargo ship sailing across the Black Sea, carrying 6,000 tons of grain stolen from occupied Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Dec. 8.

8 December 2025, 11:38 PM

Shipping company cuts Russia operations after tanker attack

Turkish maritime shipping company Besiktas Shipping will stop all dealings with Russia after one of its oil tankers, the Mersin, was badly damaged by explosions near the coast of Senegal, Reuters reported on Dec. 2.

2 December 2025, 11:46 PM

Putin threatens expanded strikes on Ukrainian ports

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has threatened to expand strikes on Ukrainian ports and the vessels that dock there after a series of attacks on Moscow’s sanction-busting “shadow fleet” oil tankers in the Black Sea.

2 December 2025, 10:19 PM

Turkey uneasy about Ukraine attacking Russian oil tankers in Black Sea

The recent attacks on oil tankers believed to be part of Russia’s sanction-busting “shadow fleet” represent a “disturbing escalation” that threatens maritime security in the Black Sea, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Dec. 1.

1 December 2025, 11:58 PM

Russian ‘shadow fleet’ oil tanker on fire in Black Sea

Oil tanker Kairos, believed to be part of Russia’s sanction-dodging “shadow fleet,” caught fire on Nov. 28 after an explosion in the Black Sea near the Bosporus Strait, Reuters reported.

28 November 2025, 10:00 PM

EU leaders announce three major agreements on Ukraine

EU leaders at the European Council summit reached three important agreements on Ukraine, European Council president António Costa said, Interfax reported on Oct. 24.

24 October 2025, 10:00 AM

EU finally approves 19th Russia sanctions package

The European Union on Tuesday approved its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on liquefied natural gas imports, tighter travel restrictions on Russian diplomats, and new measures targeting Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, Reuters reported on Oct. 22.

23 October 2025, 12:43 AM

Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ includes up to 1,400 oil tankers, EU says

The Russian “shadow fleet” of malinsured oil tankers now includes around 1,400 vessels, EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, said on Oct. 20, as reported by German newspaper Bild.

21 October 2025, 12:48 AM

Ukrainian intel exposes Russia's illicit oil, grain smugglers

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence published dossiers on 139 ships and 142 captains engaged in illegal shipments of sanctioned Russian and Iranian oil, as well as stolen grain from Ukraine’s temporarily occupied areas, the agency reported on Telegram on Oct. 16.

16 October 2025, 04:10 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

Germany probes suspected link between Russia’s shadow fleet and drones spotted over the country

German investigators are examining a possible link between a suspicious Russian cargo ship and drones spotted over Schleswig-Holstein in late September, Spiegel reported on Oct. 2.

3 October 2025, 03:06 PM

shadow fleet

1
2
3
4
5
6