Kyiv Independent: Russians use Starlink on shadow fleet vessels to circumvent sanctions

The Russians are using SpaceXʼs Starlink terminals for communication and coordination on their shadow fleet vessels.

This is evidenced by an investigation by Kyiv Independent.

The publicationʼs journalists spoke with two Ukrainian sailors who claim that they unwittingly became part of a global Russian scheme to transport oil to circumvent sanctions.

According to sailors and two other sources who worked on such vessels, communication between tankers and owners is maintained using Western technology — satellite phones and Starlink.

A crew member of a Russian shadow fleet vessel said that it is currently difficult to purchase Starlink in Ukraine, while in other countries it can be ordered through an intermediary company and received by mail.

The representative of the President of Ukraine on sanctions policy Vladyslav Vlasyuk responded to the investigation and stated that SpaceX must take measures to prevent the use of Starlink on tankers.

According to him, Russia is deliberately using GPS spoofing to hide its ships. This disrupts navigation systems and poses a threat to other ships.

“Against this backdrop, relying on Starlink for its own operations is hypocrisy. We expect SpaceX to carefully consider this issue and take measures to prevent the use of Starlink by shadow fleets of any country, including Russia, Venezuela, or Iran,” Vlasyuk stressed.

In late January, the Russian military began using Starlink for its drone attacks on the territory of Ukraine. The Russians used them mainly to strike civilian objects and residential buildings. Such UAVs are difficult to shoot down because they fly low, are resistant to electronic warfare, and are controlled in real time.

After that, the Ministry of Defense turned to SpaceX to solve the problem of using Starlink on Russian drones. On February 2, Ukraine launched Starlink verification. But the use of Starlink on ships of the Russian shadow fleet was previously unknown.

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. In January 2026, the European Union reported a reduction in the price of Russian oil to $44.1 per barrel from February 1, 2026.

To circumvent oil sanctions, Russia has begun to form a shadow fleet. This is a fleet of old tankers that turn off their beacons so that they cannot be seen by tracking systems. They are operated mostly by the Russian state company “Suchkomflot”.

With its help, the Russian Federation transports an estimated 1.7 million barrels of oil per day, which brings large profits to the Kremlin, which directs them to the war in Ukraine.

Author: Veronika Dovhanyuk

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