The European Union has imposed sanctions on 41 additional vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow oil tanker fleet, further tightening measures aimed at cutting Moscow’s energy revenues and disrupting oil exports that help finance the war against Ukraine.
The new sanctions, adopted on December 18, bring the total number of vessels targeted by EU restrictions to nearly 600, according to a statement from the European Council.
The designated tankers are subject to bans on accessing EU ports as well as restrictions on maritime transport and related services across EU member states. The Council said the measures are designed to undermine Russia’s ability to bypass the G7 oil price cap and continue transporting crude oil to global markets.
Western governments have increasingly focused on Russia’s shadow fleet — a network of often aging tankers operating under opaque ownership structures and flags of convenience — as a key mechanism used by Moscow to evade sanctions and maintain oil export volumes.
The EU said it will continue to expand restrictive measures against entities and assets that support Russia’s war economy, stressing that limiting energy revenues remains central to the bloc’s strategy to pressure the Kremlin and support Ukraine.
Image source: The Insider
