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Alarm over ‘exploding’ rise in use of sanctions-busting shadow fleet

21 décembre 2025 à 12:33

Fear that confrontation is on the cards as policing of ships becomes more aggressive and Russia challenges Europe

The “shadow fleet” used by Russia, Iran and Venezuela to avoid western sanctions and ship cargo to customers including China and India is “exploding” in its scale and scope, and there are concerns that efforts to counter it are drawing closer to dangerous military confrontations.

Complicating the issue is that Russia has begun putting its own flag on some former shadow fleet tankers, in an open challenge to Europe.

Ukraine attacks Russian ‘shadow’ tanker off Libyan coast

The Guardian

Par :Peter Beaumont and Pjotr Sauer

19 décembre 2025 à 15:37

Reportedly critical drone strike is first in Mediterranean since full-scale invasion began as maritime conflict grows

‘There are hundreds’: tracking Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers

Ukraine says it has attacked a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker with aerial drones 1,250 miles (2,000km) from its borders, in the first such strike in the Mediterranean Sea since Moscow’s full-scale invasion nearly four years ago.

Friday’s strike off the coast of Libya, which reportedly caused critical damage, took place on the day of Vladimir Putin’s annual end of year press conference in which he said Russia would respond to recent Ukrainian attacks on shadow fleet tankers.