Russia's shadow fleet used to evade sanctions and support hybrid operations

Russia is using a so-called shadow fleet of tankers to keep oil moving by sea despite Western sanctions, according to the supplied material. The vessels are described as carrying millions of barrels of crude to buyers seeking lower prices while avoiding restrictions linked to Moscow's war in Ukraine. The same network is also said to be connected to espionage and sabotage activity against NATO countries and undersea infrastructure.

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The row says the Kremlin has claimed Russia is "imune" to sanctions imposed by Donald Trump on two of the country's largest oil companies. It adds that the shadow fleet has expanded sharply since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Analysts cited in the material say that as many as four in five tankers carrying Russian oil may now lack insurance recognised by the main international protection and indemnity clubs, which cover most maritime cargoes.

The article frames the fleet as more than a commercial workaround. It says the ships help generate revenue for what Trump called Russia's "war machine", while also supporting what are described as hybrid operations against NATO states in Europe. Those operations are linked in the row to undersea pipelines and cables, which have become a growing security concern for countries around the Baltic Sea and beyond.

The issue matters because Russia remains one of the world's largest oil exporters, alongside the United States and Saudi Arabia. The supplied material says Russia produced about 10% of global oil in 2024, and that before the war most of its seaborne exports were carried by Western tankers, with commercial arrangements handled in Switzerland and insurance arranged in London. The shift to a shadow fleet therefore reflects both the pressure of sanctions and the adaptation of Russia's export system to keep revenues flowing.

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The row also places Russia's maritime activity in a wider pattern of clandestine shipping. It says the same fleet has served other sanctioned or isolated actors, including Iran and Venezuela, as well as opportunistic traders focused on profit rather than environmental, security or crew welfare concerns. It notes that crews can be left stranded on ships for months or even years, underlining the legal and humanitarian risks associated with the trade.

The Baltic Sea is highlighted in the supplied material as a key theatre for this activity. A patrol vessel from Sweden is shown accompanying a cargo ship near the Swedish coast as part of NATO's Baltic Sentry mission, indicating the level of monitoring now taking place in the region. That context suggests the shadow fleet is not only an energy and sanctions issue, but also part of a broader maritime security challenge for NATO members.

The Kremlin's position, as presented in the row, is that sanctions will not change Russia's ability to continue exporting oil. The material does not give a fresh operational incident at sea, but it does describe a continuing system that has become more important since 2022 and is now tied to both state revenue and covert activity. The combination of sanctions evasion, maritime risk and alleged hybrid operations makes the fleet strategically significant well beyond the oil market.

What remains unclear from the supplied material is the exact scale of the latest sanctions impact, how much oil is still moving through the shadow fleet, and which specific vessels or operations are currently under scrutiny. It is also not clear how far the reported espionage and sabotage links extend in any individual case. The next developments to watch are whether Western governments tighten enforcement, whether insurers and shipping intermediaries face further pressure, and whether NATO maritime patrols expand in response.