The Ukrainian authorities have for the first time imposed decade-long sanctions on 56 maritime vessels of the Russian Federation that illegally entered temporarily occupied Ukrainian ports and exported Ukrainian food products between 2022 and 2025. To implement this decision, the State Customs Service has developed special software that allows customs officers to identify sanctioned vessels and control their entry into Ukraine.
This is reported by Finway
Incidents Involving Russian Tankers in the Black Sea
The tanker Midvolga-2, which was heading from Russia to Georgia, was attacked in the Black Sea approximately 130 km from the Turkish coast. Despite the damage, the vessel was able to continue its course to the Turkish port of Sinop on its own. Similar incidents involving tankers transporting products from Russia have occurred for the fourth time in the past week. Ukraine, for its part, denies any involvement in this particular attack.
“Over 60% of Russian gas and oil exports pass through the Gulf of Finland. We did not say ‘don’t come here,’ but it would be wiser not to do so,” noted Tsakhkna, acknowledging that Ukraine has the right to destroy military and strategic facilities on Russian territory, but international waters are a “different matter.”
Increased Risks and New Strikes on Russian Infrastructure
Following attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, the cost of shipping goods through this region has risen. The main reason for the increase is the higher costs of insuring vessels against military risks, as navigation in the Black Sea has become less safe. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the series of strikes on the shadow fleet’s tankers has significantly complicated the situation and created new risks for maritime transport.
In response to these events, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhkna noted that potential Ukrainian attacks on Russian ships in the Baltic Sea could lead to an ecological disaster, as most of Russia’s energy resource exports pass through the Gulf of Finland.
Additionally, on December 2, Ukrainian strike drones hit the oil depot “Orelnefteprodukt” in the city of Livny in the Oryol region of Russia, marking yet another example of strikes on the aggressor’s strategic fuel infrastructure.