SBU has declared the captain of a shadow fleet vessel under suspicion. He is suspected of exporting grain and oil products from Crimea

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has declared suspicion against the captain of a foreign vessel of the Russian shadow fleet. The ship was detained in Odesa back in December 2025 while attempting to export a shipment of steel pipes under the flag of an African country.

This was reported by the press service of SBU.

During the investigation, SBU found out that at the end of 2024, the defendant entered the port of Kerch on a sanctioned tanker. There, the ship was loaded with 2 000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas, which was planned to be sold in third countries.

According to SBU, in January 2021, the ship also illegally exported almost 7 000 tons of grain from Crimea to North Africa. The special service added that to circumvent sanctions, the person in question constantly changed flags and turned off the automatic identification system.

The person in question is a citizen of a Middle Eastern country. When the ship was detained, there were 16 other crew members on board, also from the Middle East.

During searches on the ship, flight plans, pilot cards, cartographic materials, and radio communication check logs with evidence of illegal entry into ports in Crimea were found.

The captain was charged under Part 2 of Article 332-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the procedure for entering and leaving the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine). He faces up to five years in prison.

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.

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