Out of the shadows and into the fire: Next steps in fighting Russia’s shadow fleet
fanny.pollet@i…
Mon, 09/14/2026 – 09:39
5 minutes
Following Russian attacks in Leipzig, the fight against Russia’s shadow fleet has entered a new and more urgent phase. The EU must maintain pressure on this core weak spot in Russia’s war economy, even as a maritime services ban and coordinated sanctions remain important but politically difficult. To gain the upper hand, the EU must broaden the fight, develop new ways to counter evolving sanctions-evasion techniques and brace for more direct confrontation.
Grasping the hem of the cloak
Active confrontation of the shadow fleet by European and, more recently, EU navies, combined with sanctions and intelligence sharing, has succeeded in drawing the fleet at least partially out of the shadows. European pressure to delist fraudulent vessels through cooperation with flag states has also opened cracks in an elaborate façade of shell companies, dubious insurance and opaque ownership. European navies, including those operating under the EU’s IRINI and Atalanta naval missions, have successfully invoked …read more