US Senate committee backs sanctions bill cracking down on Russia's shadow fleet
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations committee on Jan. 29 approved a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers.
Moscow's shadow fleet consists of aging vessels, often underinsured and poorly maintained, that fly under the flags of other countries to help Russia transport oil products in violation of sanctions imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Shadow Fleet Sanctions Act, introduced by Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen in September 2025, expands Washington's authority to penalize shadow fleet vessels and slaps new penalties on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other energy sector projects.
"Today, our committee took action to crack down on illicit shadow fleet ships that (Russian President) Vladimir Putin uses to fund his brutal war against Ukraine," Shaheen and Risch said in a statement.
"These ships and the oil sales they facilitate directly threaten American and European security and embolden Russia, China, Venezuela, and Iran."
The bill takes aim at any vessel that transports crude oil, arms, or other goods for the purposes of evading sanctions against Russia. It also targets anyone who owns, operates, insures, finances, services, or captains such vessels. These individuals would be subject to property blockages and denial or revocation of visas under the terms of the bill.
Beyond the shadow fleet, the legislation imposes new sanctions on Russia's Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 Projects while expanding penalties on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.
"We in the U.S. Senate need to do all we can to bring an end to this conflict, including driving Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, hamstringing the Russian economy, and preventing further destruction in Ukraine," the senators said.
The advancement of the bill comes as Ukraine and Russia are set to resume U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 1. While the latest push for a peace deal kicked off on Jan. 23-24, with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff describing the discussions as "very constructive," Ukraine continues to be terrorized by Russian missiles in a relentless campaign against vital energy facilities.
Kyiv has urged international partners to step up pressure on Moscow to strengthen Ukraine's position in the negotiations.
The Shadow Fleet Sanctions Act must next be approved by the full Senate, followed by the House of Representatives. It would then require the president's signature before entering into law.
The European Union also recently announced plans for its 20th package of sanctions against Russia, set to be approved on Feb. 24 — the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. While the package has not been finalized, a person familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent that the EU is considering replacing the price cap on Russian oi with a full ban on maritime services.
