"New Report: Russia's Shadow Fleet Exposed", 5 February 2025

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...

Russia’s “shadow fleet” comprises aging tankers that are vulnerable to accidents and mechanical failure...

“Our report on Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ shines a light on some of the gaping holes in the international infrastructure meant to stop Putin’s ability to continue his full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” adds Kate Watters, Crude Accountability Executive Director. “As our work demonstrates, not only is this system failing, resulting in the on-going suffering of the Ukrainian people, but it is also putting our oceans at risk of oil spills and more as Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ engages in dodgy deals in full view of the world.”

The report contains recommendations for OSCE participating states and civil society, calling for greater regulatory and watchdogging efforts to uphold sanctions and monitor ship-to-ship transfers. 

The full report is available for download HERE.