Ukraine's Western allies are using the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to board and inspect tankers that form Russia's 'shadow fleet', which has been used to evade oil sanctions. These inspections, based on Article 110, mark the first time such maritime law powers have been used in this context.
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01Summary
- 01The EU, UK and US have used Article 110 of UNCLOS to board suspected shadow fleet tankers after the US invoked it late last year against vessels evading sanctions on Venezuelan oil.
- 02Russia's shadow fleet exports about half of its crude oil using tankers not owned or insured by Western institutions, often with fraudulent registries and disabled trackers.
- 03Flags of convenience registries including St Kitts and Nevis, Palau, Gabon and nine others have stopped registering shadow vessels; Russia has re-flagged 340 tankers under its own registry.
- 04Russia's oil and gas revenue fell by 8% in August 2026, following drops of 12% in July and 1% in June.
- 05Ukraine has struck at least 26 of Russia's 30 refineries this year, adding to pressure on Russian energy exports.
02Why it matters
These enforced boardings make it costlier and riskier for Russia to sell its oil, reducing its ability to fund the war in Ukraine. Tighter enforcement may also cut global supplies of Russian crude, potentially affecting fuel prices elsewhere.
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