By Sama Marwan,
The ambassadors of the 27 EU member states have approved the seventeenth package of sanctions against Russia, targeting newly deployed “ghost oil tankers” used to circumvent existing sanctions aimed at limiting Russian oil exports, according to diplomatic sources.
Radio France Internationale reported on Wednesday that these new sanctions are independent of the “massive” sanctions planned in case Moscow refuses to negotiate or accept a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine has already agreed to and was requested by its Western allies.
In this context, the French newspaper Le Figaro reported today that the new package of sanctions, which had been under discussion for several weeks, targets nearly 200 new “ghost” ships used by Russia, along with around 30 entities accused of assisting Moscow in evading sanctions already in place.
In total, nearly 345 ships are now under the EU’s watch, according to these diplomats. This “ghost fleet“, which consists mostly of old and unregistered vessels, operates mainly in the Baltic Sea, without Western insurance and often with inexperienced crews.
The number of such vessels has risen sharply since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after EU and Western sanctions targeted Russian oil and petroleum product exports in an effort to dry up Russia’s revenues.
According to a report from the Kyiv School of Economics, around 430 ships worldwide have been identified as part of this “ghost fleet.”
