EU New Sanctions to Crack Down on Russia's Shadow Fleet

The EU has agreed on a 16th package of sanctions on Russia, which will target Russia's shadow fleet. File Image / Pixabay

The EU has agreed on a fresh round of sanctions against Russia, with a major focus on dismantling its "shadow fleet" used to bypass restrictions.

Finalised on Wednesday, the package also tightens controls on key imports, including aluminium and other goods, in a bid to weaken Moscow's war economy.

The move comes just days before the third anniversary of Russia's full invasion of Ukraine.

"I welcome the agreement on our 16th package of sanctions, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in a social media post.

"The EU is clamping down even harder on circumvention by targeting more vessels in Putin's shadow fleet and imposing new import and export bans."

The latest sanctions blacklist 73 additional vessels suspected of being part of Russia's shadow fleet, bringing the total number of sanctioned ships to 150, according to media outlet Euronews, citing European diplomats.

The EU alleges that Russia operates a shadow fleet of ageing and falsely documented ships to evade Western sanctions and continue exporting crude oil and petroleum products. These ships are often owned by obscure entities and use methods such as turning off the AIS transponders to conduct STS transfers while remaining undetected.

The new EU sanctions come as US and Russian diplomats seek a path to end the war, with officials from both sides meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a recent social media post, he called Zelensky "a dictator without elections," criticised Europe for failing to bring peace, and questioned whether Zelensky wanted the war to continue.