Intelligence officers disclose data on 42 vessels of the Russian shadow fleet

42 Russian shadowy fleet vessels were exporting oil, grain and stolen goods from Crimea, circumventing international sanctions. These operations threatened security, the environment and financed Russia's war.

This was reported by the press service of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.

The Main Intelligence Directorate reported on the activities of 42 ships of the Russian shadow fleet, which are engaged in the transportation of Russian oil, as well as grain and coal from the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea. According to the agency, these vessels, as well as the ports and airports involved, are used to transport weapons, stolen Ukrainian products and to circumvent international sanctions.

In total, 1067 ships and 155 captains are involved in Russian logistics. Maritime logistics is critical for strengthening the aggressor's military capabilities, movement of its troops, and supply of weapons and sanctioned goods.

In particular, the export of fossil fuels bypassing sanctions is becoming the main source of income for Russia and Iran. The shadowy tanker fleet and ships without ice class in the Arctic pose a threat of environmental disaster. At the same time, by selling agricultural products from the occupied Ukrainian territories, Russia finances the war and maintains the loyalty of allies such as Iran and the DPRK.

The intelligence emphasizes that the international community is able to stop these schemes and restore peace and security. To do this, it is proposed to: sanction ships and related companies and individuals; ban the entry of these ships into ports, territorial waters and international straits; apply secondary sanctions to collaborators; ban ship-to-ship operations with Russian fuel; use technology to track the actual routes of ships; control insurance coverage of oil tankers and raise environmental and safety standards.

In addition, it is proposed to require bank statements to confirm that the price cap has been met, to involve financial and specialized institutions to collect evidence, to ban the sale of used tankers to states that own the shadow fleet, to suspend the registration of ships that systematically engage in shady activities, and to synchronize actions with other countries for effective control.

Occupied Crimea has been turned into a key center for the export of stolen Ukrainian grain. Millions of tons of products from the occupied territories are exported annually through local ports, legalizing them with the help of fictitious documents, shell companies and shadow fleets. The Russian authorities have built a systematic logistics scheme from the confiscation of the harvest to its export under the guise of Russian grain, centered in the Crimean ports.

Анна Бальчінос