EU Unveils Historic Dark Fleet Sanctions, Yet Key Vulnerabilities Remain

The european Union has rolled out its largest sanctions initiative yet, targeting Russia’s elusive shadow fleet. This latest move adds 189 Russian-affiliated tankers to the blacklist, bringing the total number of sanctioned vessels to a staggering 342. Just back in late 2024, there were only 79 vessels on that list—talk about a major escalation!

however, maritime intelligence experts at Pole Star Global point out that this still leaves over half of the known Dark Fleet untouched by these sanctions. David Tannenbaum, a partner at pole Star Global, emphasizes that while this round of sanctions is a bold step aimed at both ships and their supporting companies—those keeping them insured and operational—it doesn’t fully capture the extent of Russia’s Dark Fleet activities.

Their Deep Blue Intelligence (DBI) platform has flagged 266 tankers linked to eight major fleets suspected of dodging price caps. Yet, only 89 of these vessels are included in the EU’s latest sanctions package—about one-third! If we exclude one fleet primarily dealing with Iranian crude oil, that coverage barely rises to 43%.

Tannenbaum remarked on this situation: “These measures represent an critically important escalation from the E.U., targeting not just individual ships but also their supporting companies. However, it still overlooks many identified elements within Russia’s Dark Fleet.”

Among those newly blacklisted are notable Russian firms like Volgo Shipping and Avebury Shipping.The EU has also set its sights on VSK Insurance Joint Stock Company—a move echoing previous actions taken by the UK—as data shows VSK is currently involved with or suspected of insuring around 366 vessels.This sanctions package particularly focuses on ships utilizing Seychelles-based special purpose vehicles (SPVs) for operations tied to Azerbaijani or Moldovan interests.Yet enforcement gaps persist; as an example, Cape Gemi Isletmeciligi AS had only 21 out of its associated fleet’s 41 tankers sanctioned despite similar activities.Looking ahead, reports suggest that an upcoming 18th sanctions package may propose reducing the price cap on Russian seaborne oil from $60 per barrel down to $50 per barrel.

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