The US Department of Defense has ramped up enforcement against shadow fleet vessels transporting sanctioned oil, forcing seven ships in 24 hours to change course and change courses in the Caribbean region. A recent seizure included Olina near Trinidad while Ukraine applauded coordinated US actions taken against Russia-linked vessels operating without proper regulation.
From December 6 to 25, 2025, maritime sanctions escalated with Australia designating 45 Russian-linked vessels; EU member states adding 41 vessels to the shadow fleet ban list; the U.S. seizing Venezuelan oil tankers Centuries and Bella 1, Ukraine striking Qendil tanker and Sweden detaining Russian vessel Adler as examples of behavior-based enforcement to disrupt dark fleet operations worldwide. All these actions signify a change towards behavior-based enforcement to effectively dismantle dark fleet operations worldwide.
On December 18, 2025, the European Union sanctioned 41 additional vessels belonging to Russia's shadow oil tanker fleet - bringing their total up to nearly 600. These measures target tankers that circumvent G7 oil price caps while diverting energy revenues towards funding Russia-Ukraine war. These actions included port bans and service restrictions across EU states amid increasing Urals crude discounts and logistics challenges.
Ukraine’s overland shipping route to the Black Sea has hit yet another significant milestone since.162 million tonnes total shipped across 55 countries since August (including 98 million tonnes of grain exported to 55 nations - reported on December 16).at the same time insurance costs for maritime shipping skyrocketed as the growing risk landscape began to shift, as risk premiums for shipping Russian oil out of the region extended until July 2025.
From December 3 to December 5 2025, Ukraine ramped up pressure on Russia’s shadow oil fleet through long range naval drone strikes and fresh intelligence releases. Ukrainian sources noted successful attacks on sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea as well as estimates for more than 1,240 vessels acting as sanctions evasion networks in Russia - raising state, environmental and compliance costs across the rest of world shipping.
Ukrainian forces targeted Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Black Sea on December 1-3, 2025, damaging vessels and disrupting Russian oil exports. The strikes, involving Kairos and Virat tankers respectively, threaten to affect maritime warfare tactics affecting global energy markets and sanctions enforcement.
November 2025 saw developments such as NATO’s MET Workshop more focused on digitalization than ever, Philippines’ MET conference first time ever held paperless, U.S. Navy Reserve prepares for wider responsibilities with readiness exercises, Singapore launches new energy training facility.
The European and international authorities escalated sanctions pressure against Russia’s shadow fleet operations in late November 2025. The EU General Court dismissed cases against challenges to sanctions listings while coordinated efforts between OLAF and Europol targeted networks involved in circumvention attempts. Ukraine sanctioned 56 vessels involved in illegal port calls. Canada tripled its shadow fleet designations to 100 vessels.
Two Gambian-flagged oil tankers, Kairos and Virat, were attacked by Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea between November 28 and 29, 2025. Both vessels, presenting as an EU and UK sanctioned shadow fleet for transporting Russian oil, were struck by naval drones in what can be described as the second round of attacks against Russian vessels in the Black Sea by Ukraine's SBU security service.