Northern European nations announced Thursday their commitment to intensify efforts against Russia’s fleet of oil vessels used to circumvent sanctions, coinciding with reports from Turkish authorities that a naval drone struck one such tanker near the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait in the Black Sea.
This fleet consists of older vessels purchased secondhand, frequently by obscure organizations registered in nations that haven’t imposed sanctions on Russia. Moscow relies on these ships to bypass Western restrictions and continue selling oil and petroleum products that primarily fund its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
During a gathering with allies in Finland, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that “we should go after the shadow fleet even harder.”
Meeting with fellow members of the Joint Expeditionary Force—a coalition of 10 nations monitoring these vessels—Starmer announced that British forces would now have authority to board these tankers when they pass through United Kingdom territorial waters, following the lead of other partner nations.
“Together, we must close off critical sea routes to this vital trade, to keep up the pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and to help change the narrative of this war” in Ukraine, Starmer stated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized in a video statement that Russia’s energy exports are powering Moscow’s campaign to conquer Ukraine.
“So please keep the pressure on Russia — its tankers and shadow fleet must not feel safe in European waters,” he declared.
Turkish officials reported that all 27 Turkish crew members aboard the Altura tanker escaped injury during Thursday’s early morning assault, which damaged the vessel’s bridge and engine compartment.
The Altura, reportedly transporting 140,000 tonnes of crude oil at the time of the incident approximately 14 nautical miles north of the Bosphorus, has been under Turkey-based Pergamon Maritime’s ownership since November.
According to the Open Sanctions database, the European Union has sanctioned the vessel since October for its involvement in transporting Russian oil exports that violate sanctions.
Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu confirmed the tanker suffered an “attack by an unmanned sea vessel.” He declined to speculate whether Ukraine was responsible for the assault.
Ukrainian forces have previously acknowledged using maritime drones to destroy Russian ships in the Black Sea. Earlier this month, Russia attributed the sinking of a Russian-flagged tanker carrying liquefied natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea near Libya to a Ukrainian naval drone.
