Ukraine imposes sanctions on 91 vessels of Russia’s shadow fleet

According to Ukrinform, the President’s Office issued a statement.

Office noted that Russia used these vessels to transport oil and petroleum products from ports including Novorossiysk, Ust‑Luga, and Primorsk to third countries, circumventing sanctions imposed by the EU, G7, and other states. Monitoring in the Black Sea, Red Sea, and Baltic Sea confirmed these activities.

The sanctioned vessels operated under flags of nearly 20 countries — only one under Russia’s flag, with the rest registered in jurisdictions such as Panama, Liberia, Cameroon, Barbados, the Marshall Islands, Hong Kong, Sierra Leone, Tonga, Palau, Guinea, Comoros, the Bahamas, Indonesia, Malawi, Guinea‑Bissau, Djibouti, Guyana, and Eswatini.

Ukraine will share relevant information with these states and coordinate with partners to synchronize sanctions in their jurisdictions. Twenty‑seven of the vessels are already under sanctions by the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the European Union, while work continues on the remaining 64.

The President’s Office emphasized that imposing sanctions on the shadow fleet is a priority, as it pressures those transporting Russian oil and thereby financing Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“Shadow fleet tankers are a key instrument for circumventing oil sanctions; therefore, their identification and the imposition of sanctions against them must proceed swiftly and without exceptions. Each such vessel should be regarded as an element of financing Russia’s war machine,” said Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy.

The decree, No. 121/2026, titled “On the Decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine of February 12, 2026, ‘On the Application of Personal Special Economic and Other Restrictive Measures (Sanctions)’”, takes effect upon publication.

As reported, the European Union has proposed a full ban on any cryptocurrency transactions linked to Russia to block Moscow from bypassing sanctions through assets outside the traditional banking system.