Russia to lose 30 billion dollars due to oil sanctions: how pressure on the shadow fleet will reduce war funding.

According to ТСН: Russia may lose at least 30 billion dollars annually due to restrictions on marine oil exports. Increased pressure on the 'shadow fleet' will lead to even greater financial cuts for conducting the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the Foreign Intelligence Service received new information about Russia's attempts to expand its tanker fleet to bypass sanctions. Thanks to cooperation with international partners, about 20% of the ships of the Russian 'shadow fleet' have been stopped. However, Russia is trying to compensate for these losses by engaging new ships that may also fall under the sanctions lists.

“The task of everyone in the world who wants the end of this war should be to reduce Russia's ability to adapt to the pressure in response to this war. Effective pressure on the aggressor is the main fertilizer for the diplomatic process,” Zelensky emphasized.

He also noted that sanction pressure will expand not only on marine exports but also on ship captains, the insurance system, and all infrastructure that supports shadow schemes. Ukraine is preparing to inform allies about new schemes of Chinese companies that help the Russian financial sector bypass restrictions.

Zelensky emphasized that during the meeting with intelligence leadership, non-public approaches of partners to communication with Russia and their attitude towards the negotiation process at this stage were discussed. He noted that all state positions should be based on reliable prospects and credible intelligence data.

What is known about the seizure of the tanker under the flag of the Russian Federation

It should be noted that on January 7, the USA seized the oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella-1), which was moving under the Russian flag, after a two-week pursuit in the Atlantic.

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov demanded from the USA the return of Russian citizens from the seized tanker to their homeland.

White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt emphasized that the administration will not tolerate ignoring sanctions, and the crew of the seized tanker has already received a court order for arrest for further prosecution in the USA.

US President Donald Trump also commented on the seizure of the oil tanker under the Russian flag and was waiting for an answer about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin had called him after that.

Among the crew of the Bella-1 tanker, which was detained by the US Coast Guard for violating sanctions, there are citizens of Ukraine.

This situation confirms the continuation of international pressure on Russia in the context of its aggression against Ukraine. The seizure of the tanker not only highlights the difficulties that Russia faces in trying to circumvent sanctions but also shows that the international community continues to actively work to limit the military capabilities of the aggressor.