The United Kingdom is defending its recent seizure of a Russian shadow fleet tanker, asserting that the action is lawful and serves to disrupt vessels engaged in circumventing international sanctions. The Ministry of Defence stated that Russia operates a fleet of over 700 vessels, responsible for transporting 75% of the country's sanctioned oil, which it described as a "critical lifeline for the Kremlin" in sustaining its war in Ukraine.
These actions follow increasing pressure from the European Union on Russia's shadow fleet. Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the EU, accusing member states of violating international maritime law and attempting to restrict the movement of Russian economic operators' vessels. Many Western nations imposed energy sanctions on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Moscow has been accused of evading these sanctions by shipping oil on older tankers with obscure ownership or insurance.
In response to these tactics, the EU began sanctioning individual shadow fleet vessels in 2024, with more than 630 vessels banned from EU ports as of mid-August 2026. Several European countries have also been seizing or detaining Russian-linked vessels suspected of sanctions violations. Most recently, the Italian navy, in conjunction with other EU countries, boarded a tanker suspected of falsely claiming its flag. Since the start of 2024, nine shadow fleet tankers suspected of circumventing sanctions have been seized across the EU.