Ukraine has imposed sanctions on 91 vessels identified as part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which were used to transport Russian oil and petroleum products in violation of international sanctions.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed decree №121/2026 on 12 February 2026, putting into effect a decision by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council to target these vessels with economic restrictions.
According to the presidential office, the sanctioned ships sailed from Russian ports such as Novorossiysk, Ust-Luga, and Primorsk to destinations in third countries, bypassing sanctions imposed by the European Union, G7 and other states.
The vessels on the list carried oil and petroleum products on behalf of Russian operators that evade restrictions designed to limit Russia’s revenue from energy exports.
The sanctioned vessels operated under the flags of around 20 countries, including Panama, Liberia, Cameroon, Barbados, the Marshall Islands, Hong Kong, Sierra Leone, Tonga, Palau, Guinea, Comoros, the Bahamas, Indonesia, Malawi, Guinea-Bissau, Djibouti, Guyana and Eswatini. Only one ship on the list flew the Russian flag at the time of sanctioning.
Ukraine’s authorities noted that 27 of the 91 ships are already under sanctions by allied partners, including the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the European Union, and that work will continue to align sanctions regimes across jurisdictions for the remaining vessels.
Ukrainian presidential advisers stressed that identifying and sanctioning tankers of the shadow fleet remains a priority because these ships facilitate the financing of Russia’s ongoing war through energy revenue.
