The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained and arrested a dry cargo ship that worked for Russiaʼs shadow fleet and illegally exported Ukrainian agricultural products from occupied Crimea.
SBU reported this on Telegram.
Law enforcement officers established that the owner of the vessel was under NSDC sanctions. To circumvent the restrictions, he constantly changed the name of the ship and the formal owners in third countries.
The vessel was discovered in the commercial port of Odesa, having entered under the flag of an African state to pick up a shipment of steel pipes. At the time of the detention, there was a captain and 16 crew members on board, all citizens of several Middle Eastern countries.
During the search, SBU seized flight plans, pilot charts, and radio logs with evidence of illegal entries into Crimean ports. The vessel was seized and is being prepared to be handed over to the ARMA.
The case was opened under four articles at once: financing actions against Ukraine, high treason, violation of transport rules, and illegal entry and exit from the occupied territory.
Before the full-scale war, the ship called at least seven times in Sevastopol and illegally exported agricultural products. In January 2021, it illegally exported almost 7 000 tons of Ukrainian grain to North Africa.
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 that they cannot be seen by surveillance systems. These tankers are mostly operated by the Russian state-owned company “Suchkomflot”.
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 almost 10% of the world’s “wet cargo” fleet. It transports an estimated 1.7 million barrels of oil per day, generating large profits for the Kremlin.
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