Latest news with #ShadowFleet
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Britain's FBI sends red alert on shady Russian Shadow Fleet amid fears Putin secretly cashing in on exporting oil despite sanctions
Britain's FBI has issued a 'Red Alert' warning that Russia is using a shadow fleet of vessels to evade sanctions on the sale of its oil. The National Crime Agency (NCA) warned UK financial firms yesterday that Russian oil trading companies are utilising a complex network of companies with deliberately obscure ownership structures in order to evade sanctions. Britain has banned the maritime transportation of Russian oil as its energy exports are funding the war in Ukraine. In 2024, 30 per cent of Russia's federal budget came from oil and gas sales. But Russian oil trading companies are managing to circumvent sanctions to get Western cash which is continuing to fund the Russian state, investigators believe. One of the companies sanctioned last year used over 100 Shadow Fleet oil tankers, vessels which are usually over 15 years old which secretly carry Russian oil. To avoid detection, flags are regularly changed and the ship's automatic identification system is turned off to avoid its movements being tracked, while the oil is often transferred from one ship to another to obscure its origin before the shipment reaches its destination. Over 400 Shadow Fleet vessels have so far been sanctioned by the UK, EU, US and Canada. Yesterday a NCA spokesman said: 'Today, the National Crime Agency has issued an alert to financial institutions and other members of the UK regulated sector in relation to the sale of Russian oil and gas through the use of Shadow Fleet vessels and front companies. 'Sanctions imposed on Russia as a result of its invasion of Ukraine have had a significant impact on its ability to sell oil and gas it produces. 'However, in an effort to circumvent these controls, Russian oil trading companies are utilising a complex network of companies with deliberately obscure ownership structures to evade sanctions whilst accessing Western finance and professional services in order to continue to fund the Russian state.'
Telegraph
24-06-2025
- Telegraph
Russian warship ‘passed through English Channel in disguise'
A Russian warship passed through the English Channel in disguise over the weekend, according to reports. The corvette Boikiy, which has guided missiles and mounted machine guns, is said to have broadcast a fake ID signal as it travelled through the Channel on Saturday. It is not the first time this year the warship has entered British waters after being tracked in March making its way through the Channel and North Sea. This time, it reportedly travelled alongside two oil tankers, the Sierra and the Naxos, which are part of Russia's shadow fleet, a network of tankers that transport sanctioned Russian oil using deceptive practices. Using military ships as protection has been viewed as an attempt by Moscow to deter the UK and other Nato states from seizing shadow fleet vessels. Last month, a Russian shadow Kilo-class submarine, Krasnodar, was detected in the Channel, forcing the Navy to deploy HMS Tyne to track it. That came just two weeks after HMS St Albans and HMS Mersey shadowed Russian vessels through the Channel in a separate incident. At the same time, the number of Russian oil tankers passing through the Channel has almost doubled since London sanctioned Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine, according to data analysis by The Telegraph. Dmitry Gorenburg, a senior research scientist at the Centre for Naval Analyses, told the BBC: 'The action seems designed to deter the UK and other Nato states from attempting to board and, or, seize these vessels, since the presence of a military escort heightens the risk of confrontation and further escalation.' BBC Verify, the broadcaster's fact-checking unit, said the Boikiy did not activate its tracking systems when it departed from Conakry, the capital of Guinea, in West Africa earlier this month. The ship reportedly failed to activate its automatic identification system (AIS), which alerts fellow seafarers and coastal authorities of its location, route and other safety-related information to aid safe passage at sea. Generic identification number Instead, it is said to have travelled under a generic identification number 400000000, which made it wrongly appear on tracking sites as previous vessels to have used that ID. Verify, which used satellite imagery, tracking data, and video footage to identify the warship, said it passed near the Canary Islands before meeting the two shadow tankers at the mouth of the Channel on June 20. The Royal Navy is reported to have shadowed the Boikiy as it then passed through the Channel towards the Baltic Sea. Webcam footage later appeared to show the warship passing underneath the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark. Frederik Van Lokeren, an analyst and former officer in the Belgian navy, said it was unusual for a Russian warship to disguise itself. 'Normally, if the Russians want to remain hidden in secret, they just turn off their AIS signal,' he said. 'So for them to be camouflaging as something else… it's very, very uncommon.'
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
What is Russia's Shadow Fleet, the target of latest EU sanctions?
Russia's 'Shadow Fleet' is in focus after the European Union on Tuesday imposed a sweeping set of sanctions, which the group described as its 'largest ever package' targeting it. The European Council adopted the 17th package of economic and individual restrictive measures, including on the shadow fleet for oil exports, cutting off Russia's access to key military technology. Meanwhile, as per a statement from the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the latest sanctions target entities supporting Russia's military machine, energy exports and information war, as well as financial institutions helping to fund Putin's invasion of Ukraine and to disrupt the supply chains of deadly Russian weapons systems, including Iskander missiles. The sanctions are aimed at curtailling Moscow's revenue streams from crude oil sales using the so-called 'Shadow Fleet'. The fleet is reportedly used to move Russian oil across the globe despite the Western sanctions on any such sale. According to a report by the Guardian, the Russian Shadow Fleet is a collection of 500 or so old and uninsured secret oil tankers. The EU says Moscow uses this fleet to secretly export oil to other countries, dodging sanctions. These ships are called the 'Shadow Fleet' as they operate in shadows, outside the rules set for international shipping. They are reportedly unregistered, hide their movements, operate under fake names and often change their flag to remain untracked. The fleet is important for Russia as it is a way to dodge international sanctions imposed on its oil export after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil is a major source of money for the Kremlin, and that's how it funds its war in Ukraine. To offset that, a price cap was introduced on Russian oil, barring the country from selling it above $60 per barrel to certain countries. Shipping companies in Europe were banned from helping transport Russian oil if it broke the rules. To continue selling oil and making money without following its adversaries' rules, Russia began building the shadow fleet. Under international shipping rules, ships use an Automatic Identification System (AIS) to communicate their location with the concerned authorities and other ships. That feature is switched off in the shadow fleet, which helps it maintain its secrecy. The ships frequently change their names and flags mid-journey, making it difficult to ascertain where the oil came from. The fleet also moves the oil from one ship to another in the middle of the ocean to achieve the same thing. Many of these tankers are ageing, bought secondhand from Western countries. They are more likely to leak or cause accidents, raising environmental concerns.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German Foreign Minister: Russia 'threatens us all' in Baltic Sea
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has announced increased surveillance following alleged acts of sabotage by Russia's so-called shadow fleet on cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea, in comments released on Saturday. "We, as neighbour, NATO and the EU, are countering hybrid threats with all our might, including further patrols," Wadephul told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. "In the Baltic Sea region, Russia threatens us all," he warned. The shadow fleet refers to tankers and other cargo ships that Russia uses to avoid sanctions, particularly for oil transport. In recent months, there have been numerous alleged acts of sabotage by the shadow fleet on cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Since then, the underwater infrastructure has been more closely monitored. EU ratchets up sanctions Wadephul went on to say that the threat had become increasingly serious in recent months. "Severed cables, disrupted signals and suspicious ships are causing us great concern," he said, describing the shadow fleet as an absolute security risk. The EU will impose further sanctions directly on these ships, he added. "This also helps Ukraine, as the shadow fleet transports oil every day that Russia sells by bypassing sanctions." On Tuesday, EU foreign ministers are due to formally adopt a 17th package of sanctions against Russia. It includes a further tightening of measures against the Russian shadow fleet for the transport of oil and oil products. According to Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, approximately 84% of Russia's crude oil exports pass through the Baltic Sea with the shadow fleet. This corresponds to more than a third of Russia's budget revenues, she noted. On Friday, the Council of the Baltic Sea States, which represents the democratic countries bordering the Baltic Sea, called for new shipping rules to allow for stronger joint action against Russia's shadow fleet.
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Keir Starmer warns Putin must 'pay the price' after shameful peace talk snub
Keir Starmer will meet around 40 leaders at the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania, today, where they will discuss ways to turn the screws on Putin's war machine Keir Starmer has said Vladimir Putin must "pay the price for dodging peace" as European leaders seek to turn the screws on his war machine. The Prime Minister will meet dozens of his counterparts in Albanian capital Tirana today after the Russian leader refused to attend peace talks with Ukraine. Representatives from around 40 nations will look at ways to toughen sanctions against Moscow at the European Political Community summit. The Russian economy is in serious trouble after a wave of sanctions, with its non-defence sector in recession, and Mr Starmer called on Europe to go further. He said: 'People in Ukraine and across the world have paid the price for Putin's aggression in Ukraine and across Europe, now he must pay the price for avoiding peace. 'Putin's tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, is intolerable. For the past three years, Ukraine has been fighting for peace and security, while Russia has sent thousands of young men and women to their deaths and compromised global stability. 'Alongside the US and more than 30 other partners, we have been clear that we will not stand for Russia kicking a ceasefire down the road. A full, unconditional ceasefire must be agreed and if Russia is unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to join leaders for the crucial summit. Mr Starmer is making a two-day trip to the Balkan state, becoming the first UK leader to make an official visit. No10 said leaders will discuss further sanctions agaiunst Russia - with focus on energy revenues. Europe will look at oil exports, the Kremlin's biggest source of tax revenues. Further measures are likely to cause "further pain", with revenues already a third lower than they were in 2022 thanks to Western sanctions. Putin angered world leaders by failing to turn up to peace talks in Turkey on Thursday. Mr Zelensky had called for a face-to-face meeting with the Russian leader, their first since the invasion in 2022. Mr Starmer will lead a security roundtable with the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson. He will also speak to leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Ukraine about latest efforts with the US to end the bloodshed. It comes after Mr Starmer last week announced the UK's largest ever package of sanctions on Russia's Shadow Fleet. The sanctions will apply further pressure on the Russian economy.
