Ukraine, partner diplomats discuss countering Russia’s shadow fleet

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Pavlo Palisa, together with Presidential Sanctions Policy Commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk and representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General, held a meeting with diplomats from partner countries.

Palisa announced this on Facebook, according to Ukrinform.

The meeting focused on countering the Russian shadow fleet.

Participants discussed mechanisms used to circumvent international restrictions, the discovery of Western-made components in Russian missiles, and a vessel seizure model developed by the Security Service of Ukraine as a practical tool for combating the aggressor state’s shadow fleet.

Special attention was also given to coordination among partners and strengthening oversight of vessel activities.

Palisa stressed that every loophole left open gives Russia additional resources to produce missiles and drones and to carry out new strikes against Ukraine.

Recent attacks on Kyiv, he said, once again demonstrated that Russia is waging not only a military war, but also an economic one. According to him, the shadow fleet has become part of Russia’s wartime economy and one of the key tools used to finance its aggression.

“Wherever Russia sees insufficient coordination, it adapts,” the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office noted.

“That is why it is critically important to act as a unified system – through information sharing and joint decisions that genuinely limit the aggressor’s ability to finance the war. We are grateful to the partners already involved in this work,” Palisa said, emphasizing that countering the shadow fleet is a matter of collective security for all of Europe.

As reported by Ukrinform, Russian shadow vessels account for 20% of the global tanker fleet, while fewer than half of them are currently under sanctions.