The European Parliament has intensified its call for measures against Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of aging, uninsured tankers used to export oil while evading EU and G7 sanctions. In a newly adopted resolution, MEPs urged the EU and Member States to strengthen monitoring, enhance inspections, and enforce penalties on Russian vessels operating under the radar. They also called for a full ban on imports of Russian fossil fuels, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), to counter Russia’s evasion strategies and ensure maritime safety.
The shadow fleet is largely composed of older, often uninsured ships, some more than 20 years old, acquired by Russia to bypass a $60 price cap on Russian oil. Many of these ships sail under foreign flags from countries such as Gabon, the Cook Islands, Panama, and Liberia, making them harder to trace. The fleet primarily transports oil to India, China, and Turkey, where it is refined and re-exported as by-products to Europe, sidestepping sanctions.
MEPs propose using satellite and drone technology to track these vessels and penalizing any uninsured ships found in European waters. To avoid detection, many of these ships engage in tactics like disabling their tracking systems or conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers, raising risks of collisions and environmental damage.
With estimates suggesting that up to 1,400 vessels operate as part of Russia’s shadow fleet, MEP Rasa Jukneviciene (EPP) highlighted that many are active in the Baltic and Black Seas. MEP Martins Stakis (Greens) warned that these unregulated operations pose environmental and security risks, urging immediate funding for rapid-response teams to handle potential oil spills.
The European Parliament’s resolution underscores the need to close loopholes in sanctions enforcement as part of the broader strategy to limit Russia’s financial resources and mitigate the maritime risks linked to its clandestine fleet.
