Category
Opinion

How to Stop the Russian Shadow Fleet

How to Stop Russian Shadow Fleet UNITED24 Media

Every barrel of oil in Russia’s "shadow fleet" fuels destruction in Ukraine and beyond. But the West has the tools to stop it.

5 min read
Authors
Dr Svitlana Romanko
Founder and Executive Director of Razom We Stand

Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers is no shadow at all, and these ships, used to avert sanctions and raise money for Russia's war chest, must be stopped. These tankers are perfectly visible, trackable, and dismantlable—if the West only decides to act. Using advanced technologies like AIS tracking  and satellite data, these vessels are mapped, logged in the IMO registry , and operated under the passive complicity of Western governments.

The shadow fleet comprises around 600 vessels and represents approximately 10% of the global “wet cargo” fleet. It carries approximately 1.7 million barrels of oil per day, generating significant funds to fuel Russia’s military, which allows Russian leader Vladimir Putin to continue inflicting immense suffering on the Ukrainian population.

This rogue fleet is not just a tool for circumventing sanctions; it is an existential threat to global security, maritime safety, and the environment. If the West is serious about cutting off Putin’s cash flows and helping enable his war crimes, stopping this fleet should be a top priority.

It should be noted that by allowing or purchasing Russian energy imports to Europe, not only do European leaders help fund ongoing brutality in Ukraine but also ongoing sabotage, attacks, and murders carried out by Russia on their own European soil.

The detained Eagle S tanker, carrying Russian oil, which damaged undersea cables in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Porvoo, Finland. Photo: Roni Rekomaa (Getty Images)
The detained Eagle S tanker, carrying Russian oil, which damaged undersea cables in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Porvoo, Finland. Photo: Roni Rekomaa (Getty Images)

A criminal network in plain sight

The “shadow fleet” of tankers exists because of enabling offshore networks built on secrecy and permissiveness. Russian ally Iran has been working to avoid US sanctions for decades, and now Iran is aiding Russia in sanctions evasion, including collaboration with ships. Many of these shady networks help facilitate the fleet's operation through shell companies based in jurisdictions like the UK and EU. This underpins the global trade in Russian fossil fuels, Iranian oil, and Venezuelan crude. Ending these opaque practices could shut down the shadow fleet entirely.

Transparency in maritime trade is the first step. Shadow fleet vessels rely on gaps in enforcement and oversight to continue operating. By dismantling these networks—by cracking down on shell companies and money laundering schemes—the West can eliminate not only Russia’s shadow fleet but also those operated by other rogue states.

A threat to global security and the environment

This is not just an economic issue—it is a matter of security and environmental protection. Russian tankers have already been implicated in dangerous incidents. Take the Eventin, a tanker that posed a catastrophic oil spill risk to German shores, or the Eagle S, a vessel linked to sabotage of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltics.

These tankers are more than oil carriers. They are strategic tools of the Kremlin, capable of transporting weapons, military equipment, and even mercenaries. By allowing them to operate unchecked, Western nations are enabling Russia’s petro-dictatorship and endangering their own security. 

Tracking Russia’s Shadow Fleet Through the Shallow Baltic Sea. Image: UNITED24 Media
Tracking Russia’s Shadow Fleet Through the Shallow Baltic Sea. Image: UNITED24 Media

Practical steps

The US has shown what is possible. Recent sanctions against uninsured tankers and vessels violating the G7 oil price cap have set an important precedent. But these actions must be scaled up. The EU, UK, and G7 nations must take the following four key practical steps to dismantle Russia’s shadow fleet and cut off its oil export revenues, the lifeblood of its war machine:

  • Crack down on shell companies: Governments must investigate and dismantle the offshore networks and shell companies that facilitate the Russian and Iranian oil trade, many of which operate in jurisdictions within the UK, EU, and other G7 nations.

  • Track maritime traffic and enforce maritime insurance requirements: Governments should protect their territorial waters and shorelines, establish inspections, and impose strict penalties on owners of vessels operating without proper maritime insurance.

  • Enhance transparency in maritime trade: To prevent sanction evasion, governments should require greater disclosure of ownership, cargo origins, and destinations for vessels operating in international waters.

  • Strengthen global coordination for sanctions enforcement: The sanctions coalition, including the EU, UK, US, and G7, must establish institutional mechanisms to ensure consistent sanctions enforcement against Russia and its enablers. Nations should share intelligence on shadow fleet operations and take joint actions to stop illicit activities.

Imagine a world where Russia’s oil export revenues, the lifeblood of its war machine, are cut off. This is not a far-off dream. With strong, coordinated international action, dismantling the shadow fleet and ending permissive offshore practices is achievable and must be done urgently.

The Panamanian-flagged Eventin tanker is in the Sassnitz roadstead between Binz and Sassnitz in January 2025. German authorities said the tanker, stuck in German waters, belongs to Russia's shadow fleet. (Photo: Stefan Sauer, Getty)
The Panamanian-flagged Eventin tanker is in the Sassnitz roadstead between Binz and Sassnitz in January 2025. German authorities said the tanker, stuck in German waters, belongs to Russia's shadow fleet. (Photo: Stefan Sauer, Getty)

A question of morality and courage

Russia is, as the saying goes, a gas station masquerading as a country—ruled by a ruthless mafia. Every dollar earned from its shadow fleet finances more brutality, and more deaths of Ukrainian civilians, and more destabilization of the global order.

For Western nations, this is also profoundly personal. Many European and American citizens have joined Ukraine’s fight for freedom, risking and losing their lives in defense of democracy. Yet, while these brave souls sacrifice everything, Western governments allow the Kremlin to continue profiting from fossil fuel exports. This contradiction is as dangerous as it is immoral.

We cannot fight Putin’s petro-dictatorism on one front and enable it on another. The time for half-measures is over. If we are serious about ending this war, saving lives, and protecting our planet, we must stop the Russian shadow fleet once and for all.

Let us turn this shadow into light, exposing and dismantling the networks that enable Russia’s rogue tankers. We can choke off the Kremlin’s lifeline and take a decisive step toward peace, security, and justice. It's time for the new US administration and EU leaders to take action now to end the war.

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Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking is a technology used to monitor and track the movement of ships at sea.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a UN agency that sets global standards for shipping safety, security, and environmental protection.