European Parliament calls for ‘crackdown’ on Russia’s shadow fleet

Members of the European Parliament have called on the EU to impose "more targeted” actions against Russia’s shadow fleet that defy international sanctions and export Russian oil.

PHOTO: Smoke blowing out of a rusty red cargo ship. Getty Images

Russia has used its so-called ‘shadow fleet’ to export its crude oil and petroleum products, despite several sanctions by the EU, G7, and other international bodies, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said in a statement.

These tankers are often old, uninsured, and with unclear ownership, raising concerns over the risk of environmental disasters, including severe oil spills. The revenue generated from the oil exports is then used to fund the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the MEPs claimed.

“The ‘shadow fleet’ provides a key financial lifeline for Russia in its illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine,” it stated.

The MEPs have called for the following targeted measures against these vessels in the next EU sanctions packages:

• The EU must target shadow tankers, owners, operators, managers, accounts, banks, and insurance companies that export Russian oil in defiance of sanctions
• EU members must step up monitoring initiatives, with enhanced surveillance capabilities like drone and satellite monitoring, as well as regular inspections at sea
• EU member states should designate ports capable of handling sanctioned vessels carrying crude oil and LNG and seize illegal cargo without compensation
• The EU must ban all imports of Russian fossil fuels

The European Parliament has further called on the G7 group of developed countries to “better enforce” the price cap imposed on Russian crude oil.

Growing Russia’s shadow fleet

A shadow fleet or a “dark fleet” primarily consists of older and environmentally hazardous vessels that intentionally evade regulations. These ships are said to operate under the radar, by sailing without insurance or disabling their tracking transmitters. Shadow fleet owners are infamous for the covert practice of forging documents to avoid industry standards.

Last year, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) noted the urgent need to address the rising use of shadow fleets for ship-to-ship (STS) transfers of Russian crude oil, which increases the risk of oil spills and collisions at sea.

With the mounting concerns over the use of shadow fleets to evade sanctions and undermine international protocols, it is evident that the problem persists despite calls from global agencies for stricter measures. Despite the efforts, the actual progress in cracking down on this issue remains somewhat unclear, with the exact number of ‘shadow tankers’ unknown.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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