On the night of July 8, Ukrainian troops attacked 9 more tankers of the Russian shadow fleet in the Azov Sea.
This was reported by the commander of the UAV Forces Robert "Madyar" Brovdi.
Also that night, six electrical substations in Crimea and 53 other military targets were hit.
In total, over the past 72 hours, the UAV Forces have struck 21 vessels: 19 tankers of the shadow fleet, one dry cargo ship, and one ferry in Kerch.
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 and $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 (they transport mainly crude oil, petroleum products and LNG), which provide 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 May of this year, four more tankers, formerly owned by Oman, joined the Russian shadow fleet. They also transport LNG.
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