As Western capitals tighten economic pressure on Moscow, Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” has emerged as a key tool for moving sanctioned oil and blunting the impact of restrictions. Far from a handful of discreet tankers, the network functions as a broader logistics and finance ecosystem that keeps Kremlin revenues flowing while testing the limits of Western control over energy routes.
According to shipping analytics firm Kpler, Russian seaborne oil shipments have fallen by more than 70% in recent months, yet revenues have remained resilient. The firm’s data indicate that 56 sanctioned tankers still moved roughly $10 billion worth of crude over a five-month span.
A senior White House official told Erem News that President Donald Trump’s administration has the “shadow fleet” under close watch and is preparing a fresh round of penalties targeting dozens more vessels in the coming days. The official described the package as potentially the largest since Trump took office but said any announcement has been delayed to avoid undercutting a planned Trump–Vladimir Putin meeting expected at week’s end.
The official said the current U.S. sanctions roster inherited from the Biden administration covers more than 250 Russian-linked tankers. Trump has so far resisted rapidly expanding that list, preferring to leave space for negotiations with Moscow. Even so, the source claimed Russian exports by tanker slipped to about 13 million barrels over the past six months, pressure that helped bring the Kremlin to the table.
“The administration understands these Russian vulnerabilities and wants to give diplomacy one last chance,” the official said. “But absent movement at the summit, we’re prepared to tighten the screws with a much tougher sanctions package.”