Ukraine expects more decisive action from EU regarding Russian shadow fleet – presidential advisor
Navies of EU member states are receiving the right to board vessels that may be violating international shipping regulations, but Ukraine has long been expecting more decisive action in this direction, since the activities of Russia's shadow fleet have been recorded since 2023, presidential advisor on sanctions policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk has said.
"On June 8, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, ahead of the second day of the EU defense ministers' meeting in Nicosia, announced that measures to counter Russia's shadow fleet are moving to a new level. From now on, within the framework of Operation IRINI, which is aimed at ensuring maritime security in the Mediterranean Sea, the navies of EU member states receive the right to board vessels that may be violating international maritime regulations – to inspect vessels in cases of reasonable doubt regarding their identification. We have long expected clearer and more decisive actions in this direction from the EU, as the activities of the Russian shadow fleet have been recorded since 2023," Vlasiuk said in a comment to the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Tuesday.
He noted that Operation IRINI was applied against the shadow fleet for the first time in 2026.
"On June 1, an inspection team boarded the tanker MV Oneiroi in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel is under EU and Ukrainian sanctions. The basis was suspicions regarding the use of a false flag and possible links to the transportation of Russian oil," Vlasiuk reported.
According to him, the work of IRINI was active, but until recently it was mostly limited to observation, radio checks, and inspections with the consent of captains.
"The transition to physical inspections in high-risk cases is a logical strengthening of the toolkit, but it is still delayed relative to the scale of the problem," the presidential advisor remarked.
Vlasiuk emphasized that the problem of transporting Russian oil through the northern maritime routes of the EU – from the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea through the Danish Straits to the North Sea – remains unresolved.
"Despite the efforts of individual states, in particular Sweden, which has already detained four vessels since the beginning of the year, and one of them may even be handed over to Ukraine, this route continues to be actively used by Russia to export oil and finance its war machine. Ukraine supports the strengthening of practical measures and looks forward to the further expansion of restrictions on maritime transportation of Russian oil and petroleum products within the EU," he said.