Richard Parks The European Parliament has passed a resolution urging the EU and its Member States to crack down on Russia’s “phantom fleet,” a network of outdated and often uninsured vessels used to evade Western sanctions on Russian oil exports. The Parliament’s proposal includes calls for stricter surveillance, financial penalties, and a total ban on all Russian fossil fuel imports, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), to counteract Russia’s evasion tactics and improve maritime safety.
In response to a price cap on Russian oil imposed by the EU and G7 in 2022, Russia has assembled a fleet of about 1,400 aging ships, mostly unregistered and operating under flags of convenience from countries like Gabon, Panama, and Liberia. These ships primarily transport crude oil to India, China, and Turkey, where the oil is refined and re-exported to Europe as by-products, sidestepping sanctions.
To address these evasive practices, the resolution advocates for enhanced monitoring through satellite and drone inspections, sanctions against uninsured ships in European waters, and a ban on ship-to-ship oil transfers—often carried out at sea to obscure the oil’s origin. Ships in this fleet have also been known to disable their tracking systems, a risky practice that raises the chance of maritime accidents, oil spills, and potential security threats to European waters.
MEP Rasa Jukneviciene (EPP) highlighted the fleet’s size and reach, noting that around 600 vessels primarily operate in the Baltic and Black Seas. MEP Martins Stakis (Greens) called for additional funding to bolster Europe’s response capabilities in the event of an oil spill, warning that delays in action could lead to extensive environmental and economic damage.
The Parliament’s stance signals the EU’s continued commitment to reinforcing sanctions on Russia and closing loopholes to curtail its energy exports amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.