A Palau-flagged Suezmax oil tanker, the Elbus, was damaged in a suspected Ukrainian drone strike in the Black Sea off Turkey’s Kastamonu province on January 8, 2026. The vessel, en route to Russia’s Novorossiysk port and linked to Moscow’s “shadow fleet,” suffered upper deck damage but no crew injuries or oil spill. This is the latest in a series of attacks aimed at disrupting sanctioned Russian oil trade.
Tag: shadow fleet
U.S. forces have seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1) in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long pursuit, as part of efforts to enforce sanctions on illicit Venezuelan oil trades. The operation, confirmed by U.S. European Command, escalates tensions with Russia amid broader enforcement of a blockade on sanctioned vessels.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed a response after Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) conducted its first-ever drone strike on a Russian-linked oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea. The attack targeted the Oman-flagged Qendil, part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” causing critical damage in neutral waters near Crete.
Ukraine’s SBU carried out a daring drone strike on the Oman-flagged tanker QENDIL, part of Russia’s shadow fleet, in neutral Mediterranean waters off Greece—over 2,000 km from Ukraine
Russia has damaged four Turkish-owned civilian vessels in the Black Sea over 48 hours in apparent retaliation for Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil tankers, marking a dangerous escalation in attacks on commercial shipping.
Two tankers carrying Russian oil products were struck in suspected Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Turkey’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Black Sea, escalating risks for shipping routes near Turkish waters.
Greek-owned tankers are set to continue transporting Russian oil despite the EU’s new eighteenth sanctions package, which imposes a floating oil price cap of 15% below market rates for Russia’s Urals blend, currently at $47.60 per barrel. Comprising 20% of Russia’s shadow fleet, these EU-certified ships face increased complexity but remain vital to Moscow’s exports. Meanwhile, Ukraine has escalated attacks, with explosions targeting Greek tankers linked to Russia’s oil trade, raising concerns of a broader sabotage campaign.
MEPs warn in the letter that these vessels are bolstering the Russian shadow fleet that is used to evade sanctions and export sanctioned oil.
According to a report by the Finnish newspaper Yle on Tuesday, NATO is deploying around…
Recent developments have highlighted a surge in activity from Russia’s shadow fleet near the Greek coast. With approximately 1 million barrels of fuel being transferred monthly in the Aegean Sea, Greek naval exercises strive to limit these operations. The shadow fleet’s activities, often shrouded in secrecy, aid in evading sanctions, raising concerns over vessel safety and insurance.
Traders are increasingly utilizing a new ship-to-ship (STS) loading site in the northern Aegean Sea to move Russian diesel cargoes, as Western sanctions impact vessels transporting fuel from Russian ports. Since the EU imposed a full embargo on Russian oil products in February 2023, many traders have redirected exports to various destinations, complicating traceability for Western countries. The Laconian Gulf has emerged as a popular STS location due to its proximity to Russian ports and the Suez Canal. Recent data indicates a notable rise in STS activities, driven in part by new sanctions targeting the export of Russian oil products.
