The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump effectively allowed Ukraine to strike vessels belonging to the so-called shadow fleet of the Russian Federation. According to information from American and Ukrainian officials, Trump did not express objections to attacks on Russia’s oil logistics in international waters, and at times even approved the transfer of intelligence to Kyiv, which the Ukrainian side used to target Russian oil infrastructure facilities. In the U.S., such actions are considered an effective means of pressure on Russia, although it is acknowledged that this could impact the stability of the global energy market.
This is reported by Business • Media
Series of Attacks on the Russian Shadow Fleet and Energy Infrastructure
On November 28, tankers Kairos and Virat, which were under Western sanctions for transporting Russian oil purchased above the established price ceiling, were attacked near the Bosporus. On December 10, Ukrainian Security Service marine drones, Sea Baby, struck the shadow fleet tanker Dashan in the Black Sea. On December 12, Ukrainian special forces attacked two Russian vessels – “Composer Rachmaninoff” and “Askar-Saridja” – in the Caspian Sea. Both were under U.S. sanctions and were transporting weapons and military equipment.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump effectively gave Ukraine the green light to strike at the Russian shadow fleet, American and Ukrainian officials reported.
Strikes on Russian Oil Facilities
Ukraine is also continuing to actively strike at Russian oil refineries. Last week, SBU strike drones attacked Lukoil’s oil production platforms in the Caspian Sea twice, resulting in the halting of production processes there. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Defense Forces targeted the “Slavneft-YANOS” oil refinery in the Yaroslavl region, and the next day – a refinery in Saratov that had recently resumed operations. On December 14, facilities at the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai and the “Uryupinskaya” oil depot in the Volgograd region of Russia were struck.