Ukraine calls on West to step up counteraction to Russia's shadow fleet after environmental disaster in Black Sea

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has called on its partners to step up counteraction to Russia's shadow fleet of tankers after an accident involving such vessels in the Black Sea caused an environmental disaster in the area.

Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, noted that the accident involving two Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait on 15 December which caused a large-scale fuel oil spill confirms that the outdated shadow fleet vessels pose an environmental threat to the waters they navigate, as Russia is disregarding shipping safety standards.

He stressed that it took the Russian leadership more than 20 days to recognise the scale of the problem at the highest level and set up an operational headquarters to deal with the consequences.

"In the period from 15 to 31 December 2024, this spill of oil products from damaged tankers in the Kerch Strait continued, and the Russian authorities did not take any effective measures to respond to this disaster," he said.

The spokesperson noted that this disaster is a direct consequence of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and Russia's illegal economic activities in the temporarily occupied territories and water areas of Ukraine. He stressed that this is a threat to the Black Sea ecosystem, as well as to the lives and health of citizens of all Black Sea countries.

"This is also evidence for our partners that Russia's use of the so-called shadow fleet for illegal transport not only generates billions for the Russian military budget but also increases the risks of environmental disasters and damage to coastal states. And this applies not only to the Black Sea.

That is why Ukraine is once again calling for stricter sanctions on the Russian shadow fleet operators. It is high time this fleet was anchored," he pointed out.

He added that Russia should be held accountable for the cross-border damage caused.

Finland has reported technical defects in a tanker suspected of damaging an underwater power line and several communication cables in the Gulf of Finland and is considered to be part of the shadow fleet.

In the EU, the term "Russia's shadow fleet" refers to tankers that transport Russian oil while avoiding the "price cap" imposed by the G7 to reduce Russia's international trade revenues.

These are usually old tankers with convoluted ownership and control arrangements that operate without sufficient insurance (companies from G7 countries are prohibited from insuring tankers transporting products in violation of sanctions).

Some experts have criticised the term "shadow fleet" and advocated for stricter sanctions against tankers carrying Russian oil and petroleum products. They argue that, in reality, the sanctions mechanism is ineffective.