Zelenskyy: Russian shadow fleet dangerous not only as way to finance the war, but as source of possible environmental disaster

14:48, 17.12.2024 1 min read

The shadow fleet of tankers used by Russia to circumvent sanctions is one of the biggest threats, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his address to the summit of the Joint Expeditionary Force member countries.

"Putin uses these tankers to finance his war, and most of these vessels are old, poorly maintained, and operate without any oversight. Just recently, near the Kerch Strait, two oil tankers sank. These ships were nearly 50 years old. They shouldn’t have been in operation at all, especially in this part of the waters and during this season. Right now, our sea is facing yet another environmental disaster caused by Russia," Zelenskyy pointed out.

He emphasized that much larger and more dangerous Russian tankers operate in other maritime zones.

"This fleet must be stopped. Doing so will not only cut off Russia’s war funding but will also protect nature. I urge you to take even stronger action to ensure that the shadow tanker fleet and other Russian vessels, including those transporting weapons, can no longer operate in European waters," the president stressed.