The shipping company that owned the vessel from Russia’s shadow fleet announced the next day that it would cease cooperation with Russian partners, says expert Pavlo Lakiichuk from the “Strategy 21” Center for Global Studies, Ukrainian Radio reports. This followed Ukraine’s attack on the tanker QENDIL that was used to ship Russian oil.
On 19 December, the Security Service of Ukraine struck the QENDIL tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, which Russia had been using to circumvent sanctions and fund its war against Ukraine. At the time of the strike, the vessel was not carrying any cargo, so the operation posed no environmental risk.
According to him, the shipowner explicitly acknowledged that doing business with Russia carries unacceptable risks, and potential losses and threats are no longer offset by revenue from shipping operations.
“Kinetic Sanctions” and the Shadow Fleet Rollback
According to Lakiichuk, strikes on the “shadow fleet” tankers trigger a chain reaction:
- insurance costs for ships rise sharply;
- shipowners refuse to cooperate with Russia;
- crews are unwilling to sign on for dangerous voyages.
“When the Ukrainian Defense Forces and intelligence agencies apply so-called kinetic sanctions, it has a direct economic effect,” the expert noted.
He emphasized that such operations are possible not only in the Black Sea but also in the Baltic and Caspian regions. Ukrainian drones have already struck bases in Kaspiysk and the Dagdiesel plant, which produces torpedoes and ship engines for the Russian Navy.
Moreover, Russia receives weapons from Iran via the Caspian Sea, and strikes on ports and vessels along this route, including near Astrakhan, are considered top-priority targets.
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