All articles tagged with #shadow fleet
The Chinese captain of the EU-sanctioned tanker Boracay, Zhangjie Chen, goes on trial in Brest for failing to comply with orders after French forces boarded the vessel in international waters; he said two Russian security agents were aboard at the shipping company’s request, while the ship carried about $100 million in Russian oil, highlighting EU efforts to crack down on Russia’s shadow fleet.
President Zelensky announced new Ukrainian sanctions targeting 225 captains of ships linked to Russia's 'shadow fleet' that transport oil, part of a broader push to choke Moscow's war funding. Kyiv urged the European Union to bolster next sanctions packages, including a ban on maritime services for sanctioned vessels, as the EU weighs a 20th package reportedly aiming to curb Russian crude flows.
A Kremlin aide, Nikolai Patrushev, warned in an interview that Moscow could retaliate by deploying its navy if European raids on Russia’s shadow fleet intensify, signaling a potential blockade of sea access. European actions against hundreds of sanctioned shadow-fleet tankers have increased, including France’s seizure of the tanker GRINCH (later released after a fine), amid broader sanctions pressure and Ukrainian/U.S. maritime actions against Russian oil networks.
France released the tanker Grinch after its owner paid a multi‑million‑euro fine following its January seizure near Marseille over suspicions it belonged to Russia's sanctions‑busting shadow fleet. The ship, which sailed from Murmansk under a Comoros flag, had been immobilised for about three weeks at Fos-sur-Mer. The case highlights ongoing Western efforts to crack down on opaque, aging tankers used to evade sanctions, though the broader shadow fleet remains sizeable.
France released the tanker Grinch, accused of belonging to Russia’s sanctions-busting ‘shadow fleet’ that helps Russia export oil under sanctions, after its owner paid several million euros and the vessel endured about three weeks immobilised in Fos-sur-Mer; the move comes as Ukraine peace talks in Geneva resume and EU sanctions plans move forward.
Senior Russian official Nikolai Patrushev warned Moscow could deploy its navy to protect vessels linked to Russia from potential European seizures, saying any maritime blockade would be illegal under international law and that European-flag ships could come under scrutiny. The remarks come amid scrutiny of the Kremlin’s so-called shadow fleet—an estimated 1,500 ageing oil tankers used to export crude while evading sanctions—as Western powers press to interdict or sanction such vessels, with France briefly intercepting a tanker and the US increasing seizures as Ukraine-related talks continue.
The U.S. military boarded the Aquila II oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after pursuing it from the Caribbean, in a maritime interdiction tied to Washington’s sanctions crackdown. The Panama-flagged vessel, sanctioned for illicitly transporting Russian and Venezuelan oil and linked to Moscow’s so‑called shadow fleet, carried about 700,000 barrels to China from Venezuela. The incident underscores efforts by U.S. and allied authorities to deny illicit actors access to global oil trade, while European governments move to tighten countermeasures amid environmental risks from potential spills.
A Sunday Times investigation finds Russia’s sanctioned oil is shipped through the English Channel by a vast, opaque 'shadow fleet', netting about £239bn since 2022; with many vessels flouting sanctions, Britain is weighing unmanned drone-boat patrols to shadow and seize tanker loads, and debates a broader maritime ban to curb this revenue while warning of spill risks.
The European Union is considering a full ban on maritime services—such as insurance and transport—used to move Russian oil, potentially replacing the current price-cap regime and choking Moscow’s oil revenue; this comes as a shadow fleet of tankers evades sanctions, with increasing risks from intercepts and Ukrainian attacks, and with any measure requiring unanimous EU approval.
The Russian Maritime Board, chaired by Nikolai Patrushev, says it has drawn up measures to defend Russian shipping from unfriendly states, including potential naval protection for ships serving Russian interests. The move comes amid a growing “shadow fleet” of sanctioned tankers and allegations of maritime-law violations affecting strategic routes and Russia’s Arctic and global shipping security.
An EU‑sanctioned shadow fleet tanker, the Chariot Tide (formerly Marabella Sun) flying a Mozambican flag, was escorted by a Spanish rescue vessel to the Moroccan port of Tangier Med after its engine broke down in international waters inside Spain’s search‑and‑rescue zone. The ship has been under EU sanctions since December 2024 for transporting Russian oil and using irregular high‑risk shipping practices, reflecting broader European pressure on Moscow’s aging fleet amid security and environmental concerns.
French authorities detained the Indian captain of the tanker Grinch after intercepting it off Marseille, amid sanctions enforcement and allegations the vessel was flying a false flag as part of Russia’s shadow fleet. The rest of the crew, all Indian, remains on board while investigators verify the flag's validity; the ship is moored under guard as France upholds international sanctions.
France, aided by UK intelligence, boarded the Comoros-flagged tanker Grinch in the Mediterranean to verify its origin from Russia amid sanctions on the so‑called shadow fleet, part of a widening allied effort to cut off oil linked to Moscow; Russia warned such ships would be escorted, as other interdictions (Marinera, Sagitta) and further UK/US actions continue, and Zelensky urged Europe to stop Russian oil revenue funding the war in Ukraine.
France, with UK tracking support, seized the oil tanker Grinch in the Mediterranean amid sanctions‑evasion concerns tied to Russia’s shadow fleet; authorities say the vessel, which sailed from Murmansk and was flying a questionable flag, illustrates Western efforts to choke off oil revenue funding Moscow’s war.
U.S. forces seized the Motor Vessel Sagitta, a Panamanian-flagged, Venezuelan-linked tanker owned by Sunne Co Limited, marking the seventh such seizure since December 2025 as Washington tightens sanctions on Venezuelan oil shipments in the Caribbean; the ship was described as part of a shadow fleet moving oil from sanctioned nations, underscoring ongoing enforcement while related actions—such as the Maduro case in New York and a recent roughly $500 million Venezuelan oil sale—continue.