Ukraine, together with the European Union, is actively working on the development of the twentieth sanctions package against the Russian Federation. This was announced by the President of Ukraine’s Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, Vladyslav Vlasuk, who emphasized the need for new restrictions due to the ineffectiveness of the current measures.
This is reported by Business • Media
EU Intensifies Sanction Pressure on the Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’
The strengthening of sanctions has become particularly relevant following the incident off the coast of France, where one of the tankers from the so-called shadow fleet of Russia was intercepted. French President Emmanuel Macron called on European partners to take more decisive action against the illegal transportation of Russian oil. He proposed to block energy resource supplies by detaining shadow vessels to disrupt the financing of Russia’s military operations.
“It is extremely important to increase pressure on the shadow fleet, as this significantly reduces Russia’s ability to finance its military efforts in Ukraine. It is very important that by doing so, you undermine the business model by detaining these vessels even for a few days or weeks, which decreases the effectiveness of the business model. I propose, within the Coalition of Willing, to work closely with NATO on how to optimize these joint actions,” Macron emphasized.
The Shadow Fleet of Russia and Its Role in Financing Aggression
According to estimates from the European Union, the shadow fleet of Russia consists of 444 vessels that generate an annual income of over 30 billion euros from oil sales. These funds cover 30-40% of all military expenditures of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. This is why monitoring the activities of these vessels and blocking their operations are viewed as effective ways to weaken Russia’s financial capabilities to continue its aggression.