The authorities of the Russian Federation have decided to increase the maximum operational lifespan of river and sea vessels from 40 to 50 years, in response to the reduction of state funding for the preferential leasing program for civilian vessels. It has been noted that the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation has already prepared the relevant amendments to the draft law, which proposed a ban on the operation of old vessels starting in 2030.
This is reported by Business • Media
Reduction in Funding and Shipbuilding Issues
The changes are due to a nearly halved funding for the leasing program for 2026-2028, down to $1.75 billion. As a result, the planned number of new vessels to be built under the program has been reduced from 260 to 219 units. Additionally, the decision has been influenced by delays in ship construction: a medium-tonnage ship takes about two years to build, while a large-tonnage ship takes three, and timelines are often extended by an equal amount. Consequently, most vessels already laid down at Russian shipyards will not be delivered to customers by 2030.
State of the Shadow Fleet and Environmental Threat
According to the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, to fully replace the outdated fleet, 1,714 vessels need to be updated within the next four years. However, the actual replacement rates remain low: in 2025, Russian shipbuilding plants delivered 129 civilian vessels to customers compared to 131 in 2024.
It is worth noting that the shadow fleet of the Russian Federation, consisting of over 900 outdated tankers (aged over 15-20 years), was created to circumvent sanctions on oil exports. These vessels, often lacking proper insurance and staffed with inexperienced crews, pose a high risk of environmental disaster due to the potential for oil spills, especially in the Baltic Sea.
Thus, the extension of the operational lifespan of old vessels amid a reduction in the construction of new ones increases risks to ecology, particularly considering the already existing problems of the shadow fleet of the Russian Federation.