Several countries are growing increasingly frustrated with Russia’s use of aging tankers to bypass Western sanctions aimed at cutting Moscow’s oil revenue and depleting its war funds. Oil and gas exports make up nearly half of the Kremlin’s total tax revenues, playing a crucial role in financing its war against Ukraine.
Alexey Zhuravlev, leader of the nationalist Rodina party, warned that any attempt to seize these tankers would provoke “retaliatory measures” from Moscow. He suggested that Russia could respond by boarding Western ships in the Baltic Sea and taking more aggressive actions using its naval fleet, which he claimed far outmatches the smaller vessels of Baltic nations.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has welcomed these initiatives, which gained renewed attention after Finland seized a Russian vessel from its shadow fleet in December, suspecting it of sabotaging key Baltic Sea cables.
Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, emphasized the importance of these proposals. He noted that disrupting Russian oil shipments significantly weakens Moscow's ability to fund its war efforts, making these measures vital at this stage of the conflict.
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