EU slaps sanctions on over 40 Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers

This is stated in an official announcement by the EU Council.

On Thursday, December 18, another 41 vessels were added to the list of ships subject to a ban on port access, as well as the provision of a wide range of services related to maritime transport.

As emphasized in the statement, this measure targets tankers that are part of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's 'shadow fleet,' which circumvent the oil price cap mechanism or support Russia's energy sector, as well as vessels responsible for transporting military equipment to Russia or involved in transporting stolen Ukrainian grain and cultural valuables from Ukraine.

This decision brings the total number of sanctioned vessels to nearly 600.

• Sweden has noticed that Russian military ships have ramped up their presence in the Baltic Sea. They appear to be supporting Russia's 'shadow fleet.'