The United Arab Emirates introduced a ban on ships bearing the flag of the African nation of Eswatini, signaling further restrictions on "shadow fleet" vessels carrying Russian oil, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 8.
Russia's "shadow fleet" is a group of older and often uninsured vessels used by Russia to ship out its oil while avoiding international sanctions. Ships carrying the flag of Eswatini have transported oil for Russia.
According to Bloomberg, among the 18 Eswatini-flagged ships visible on international shipping data, the ownership of at least 16 ships is unknown. Several of those vessels have reportedly carried Russian and Iranian oil.
The Swedish Navy warned in April that the activities of the "shadow fleet" may go beyond circumventing sanctions, as these vessels may also be conducting espionage in the Baltic Sea.
The EU, the U.S., and other of Ukraine's partners have imposed extensive sanctions against vessels helping Russia to dodge sanctions on oil.
Mykola Kolisnyk
