Politico: Sanctioned Russian tankers leave oil slicks in European seas

Tankers of the Russian shadow fleet are leaving oil slicks near the coast of Europe.

This is according to a joint investigation by Politico and the nonprofit journalism group SourceMaterial.

Over the past year, at least five tankers have continued to sail unhindered in European waters, leaving oil slicks in them, and Britain has imposed individual sanctions against two of them.

The Center for Energy and Clean Air Research estimates that cleaning up a major oil spill caused by such a tanker could cost up to €1.4 billion. If the culprit is not found, European taxpayers will likely foot the bill.

A representative of the UK Foreign Office said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is using vessels that ignore basic safety standards, increasing the likelihood of catastrophic oil spills.

“The shadow fleet is Putin’s desperate and dangerous attempt to retain his oil profits while polluting the sea,” he stressed.

According to the publication, the Russian shadow fleet consists of 1 300 vessels. The EU has imposed sanctions against 444 of these vessels, and the UK has imposed sanctions against 450.

A European Commission representative told Politico that EU countries are required to “apply sanctions for cases of illegal discharges of pollutants from ships”.

According to him, Brussels is also targeting "middlemen" of shadow fleet vessels, including oil refineries and commercial registries, and is exerting "diplomatic pressure" on the states concerned.

What is known about the Russian shadow fleet?

In early December 2022, the G7 members, as well as Australia and the EU, imposed price caps on Russian oil, setting a maximum price of $60 per barrel. From February 5, 2023, these countries imposed price caps on Russian petroleum products: $100 for diesel fuel, $45 for various lubricants.

To circumvent oil sanctions, Russia has begun building a shadow fleet. This is a fleet of old tankers that turn off their beacons so they cannot be seen by surveillance systems. These tankers are mostly operated by the Russian state-owned company “Sovcomflot”.

According to The Guardian’s September 2023 estimates, Russia’s shadow fleet consists of approximately 600 vessels, providing 70% of Russia’s oil exports and approximately 10% of the world’s “wet cargo” fleet. With its help, the Russian Federation transports almost 1.7 million barrels of oil per day, which brings large profits to the Kremlin.

In the EUʼs 18th sanctions package, adopted on July 18 this year, the bloc lowered the price of Russian oil to $45 per barrel. The United Kingdom also joined the decision.

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