Today, EU foreign ministers approved new sanctions against Russia at their meeting in Brussels. These include the sanctioning of 52 ships that transport or have transported Russian oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) or looted Ukrainian grain.
Sebastian Rötters, Energy Campaigner at Urgewald, comments: "Expanding sanctions makes sense, but they still amount to nothing more than pinpricks against Russia's fossil fuel export operations. The number of sanctioned oil and LNG tankers is simply too small to noticeably curtail Russia's exports. The Russian shadow fleet is several hundred ships strong."
The current oil spill in the Black Sea, caused by two old malfunctioning tankers, demonstrates the urgency of banishing the Russian shadow fleet from EU waters. More than 8,000 tons of crude oil are currently polluting the waters and coasts there.
Vladimir Slivyak, Co-Director of the Russian NGO Ecodefense and Alternative Nobel Prize laureate, says: "Adding further ships to the sanctions list is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough to stop the Russian shadow fleet’s operations. These often very old and inadequately insured ships are a ticking time bomb for Europe's seas and coasts. If they are not stopped, an oil spill in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea or the Mediterranean is only a matter of time."
