Russia’s “shadow fleet” comprises aging tankers that are vulnerable to accidents and mechanical failure, with roughly 100 additional ships, military and civilian, sinking or damaged since the war with Ukraine began.

The desire and capacity of the Russian Federation to ensure the safety of oil and gas shipping has diminished substantially during the war, hostilities which are fundamentally nourished by oil exports.

According to various estimates, between 2,400 and 8,000 metric tons of mazut originating from the Saratov Oil Refinery spilled out of the damaged tankers into the sea.

A new report by Crude Accountability, “Russia’s Shadow Fleet,” exposes the Russian Federation’s sanctions-evading oil trade, which flows from the Black Sea and other Russian ports to the European Union (EU) and elsewhere...the dossier identifies 8 ships that transport Russian oil from the ports of Murmansk, Novorossiysk, Taman, and Ust Luga, which are operated and insured by Western companies. The dossier also tracks ships conducting ship-to-ship transfers within EU waters, posing serious risks of oil spillage and environmental damage to the Gulf of Lakonia, Greece.

The main reason for these accidents is the careless disregard of the state and all its structures, as well as big business, for environmental safety. These tragedies occur because of irresponsible individuals and organizations, as well as gaps in legislation and deliberate weakening of environmental law in recent years.