If this week’s Russian oil exports data is an indication, it appears that Ukraine’s allies had the power to turn off Putin’s cash machine all along. Russia’s oil export system is now under severe pressure, with a dramatic -29% weekly drop in crude shipments signaling a new stage in the unraveling of the Kremlin’s war economy.
While the US is now openly pushing to “get back into business with Russia”, the Kremlin’s ongoing hybrid warfare tactics are ramping to war with America’s most important allies. Today, the Polish military intervened to repel a Russian “shadow fleet” vessel conducting suspicious maneuvers near a vital undersea power cable connecting Poland and Sweden.
Poland Thwarts Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Intrusion Near Baltic Power Cable Read Post »
Russia has seized the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Green Admire in the Gulf of Finland, deepening tensions in the Baltic Sea and sending a clear signal of its willingness to not add piracy on the high seas to its growing list of crimes against the civilized world. The tanker, owned by Greek firm Aegean Shipping, was carrying shale oil from Estonia’s Sillamäe port to Rotterdam along a pre-coordinated route agreed with Estonia and Finland.
A Russian military aircraft briefly violated NATO airspace after the Estonian Navy attempted to intercept a suspected “shadow fleet” oil tanker believed to be linked to Moscow, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on May 15, as reported by Reuters. Speaking from Antalya, Turkey, ahead of an informal NATO meeting, Tsahkna stated that the Russian jet was dispatched to “assess the situation” after the vessel in question refused to comply with Estonian authorities.
The European Union adopted its 17th sanctions package against Russia on Wednesday, escalating pressure on the Kremlin by blacklisting 189 vessels linked to Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet and tightening controls on military-use technology. Announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the new measures aim to curb Russia’s energy revenues and undermine its ability to sustain the war in Ukraine, now entering its third year.
EU Imposes 17th Sanctions Package on Russia, Targets 189 Shadow Fleet Vessels Read Post »
On May 9, the United Kingdom announced its most extensive sanctions package to date against Russia, targeting 100 oil tankers that make up the Kremlin’s so-called “shadow fleet,” along with an additional vessel linked to Russian government support. Moscow’s shadow fleet consists largely of aging tankers used to circumvent international sanctions imposed by the UK, European Union, and the United States.
In a fresh blow against Russia’s economic crimes, Ukraine’s Maritime Border Guard, together with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), intercepted a vessel from Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea. The ship was caught transporting Ukrainian grain stolen from Russian-occupied Crimea. According to investigators, in late 2024, the vessel carried approximately 5,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat from the port of Sevastopol —
Ukraine Catches Russian “Shadow Fleet” Vessel in Broad Daylight Read Post »
Only two weeks after a Russian oil tanker was arrested by Finnish police for cutting key undersea cables, Russia again weaponizes it’s “shadow tanker” fleet with the now disabled oil tanker “Eventin” set adrift approximately 20 kilometers off the coast of the German island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea. The vessel, carrying about 99,000 tons of oil, is now being towed by authorities eastward with three tugboats as a precautionary measure.
Russia continues to weaponize it’s shadow tanker fleet Read Post »
