FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The volume of Russian oil carried by well-maintained tankers has almost doubled in a year to 4.1 million barrels per day as of June.
Russia's oil tanker fleet is expanding, exporting up to 70% of the country's oil by sea, despite Western efforts to curb Moscow's wartime revenues.
The volume of Russian oil transported by well-maintained tankers has almost doubled in a year to 4.1 million barrels per day by June, according to a report published on Monday by the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE).
The findings underscore the many difficulties Kiev's Western allies face in their efforts to isolate Russia's economy. An attempt to force Moscow to end its war in Ukraine.
In December 2022, the UK – along with G7 countries, Australia and the EU – implemented a price cap of $60 per barrel to restrict Western companies from transporting, servicing or brokering cargoes of Russian crude oil, in in order to undermine the oil trade of Russia, which until before the war had the largest market for Western-owned tankers.
The move was seen at the time as a compromise amid concerns that a full embargo could lead to higher oil prices and a global oil price shock.
However, Russia quickly discovered a solution for the masses using a so-called shadow fleet of older tankers with dark ownership, enabling it to sell a significant portion of its oil above the price cap.
KSE newspaper estimates that Russia has invested at least $10bn (£7.6bn) in the fleet since the start of 2022.
" The strategy has significantly reduced the impact of the sanctions regime ," the report says.
More than 630 tankers – some more than 20 years old – are involved in transporting Russian oil as well as Iranian crude that has been subject to sanctions, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence, a maritime information service.
Western governments have tried to crack down on Russia's covert fleet, with Britain last month announcing sanctions against 10 ships it believes are at the heart of the operation.
The KSE, which calls for tougher sanctions on Russian oil, has also warned that Russia's uninsured shadow fleet could soon cause an environmental disaster in European waters. Most of Russian oil is transported through busy international shipping routes, including the Baltic Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar.
"So far, major oil spills have been avoided, but a major disaster is waiting to happen and the cleanup costs will reach billions ," the KSE newspaper said.
Sweden's foreign minister previously told the Guardian that Moscow appeared prepared to create "environmental havoc" by sailing unsuitable oil tankers through the Baltic Sea in breach of maritime rules./ TheGuardian
Lini një Përgjigje