Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on the captains of the Russian shadow fleet on August 3. The sanctions targeted 94 people and five companies.
Zelensky reported this on his Telegram channel. The corresponding decree No. 578/2025 has already been published on the website of the Office of the President.
"Today I held a meeting on our sanctions policy. Three sanctions packages have been prepared. And the first package has already been applied today — sanctions against the captains of the Russian shadow fleet. We will synchronize all these packages with our partners so that the pressure works in most jurisdictions," said Volodymyr Zelensky.
In addition to Russians, the sanctions list also includes citizens of Pakistan, Georgia, China, India, Iran, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.
The enterprises are Russian companies engaged in maritime oil transportation, logistics, and tanker fleet maintenance. We are talking about:
- “Argo Tanker” Group Limited Liability Company;
- “Gazpromneft Shipping” Limited Liability Company;
- Limited Liability Company "SKF EKO";
- Limited Liability Company "SKF Prirozlomne";
- Limited Liability Company "SKF TM".
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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