A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a bill Friday aimed at expanding sanctions against Russia's energy sector, specifically targeting a fleet of old tankers suspected of helping Moscow circumvent existing restrictions.
christened "SHADOW Fleets Act" (Sanctioning Harbors and Dodgers of Western Sanctions), the text aims to give American authorities new tools to identify and sanction ships operating for Russia outside of traditional channels, in what lawmakers call the "ghost fleet."
According to the bill's authors, this fleet plays a vital role in maintaining Russian oil exports, which represent a major source of funding for the war in Ukraine. The bill plans to establish a list of indicators to identify the vessels involved and impose strict liability in the event of a transfer with an already sanctioned vessel.
The initiative is sponsored by jim risch, Republican Senator from Idaho and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, as well as by Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, alongside seven other senators from both parties.
This proposal comes as the president Donald Trump said it wants to intensify pressure on countries buying Russian oil, in order to weaken Moscow's revenues. If adopted, it could further complicate Russian hydrocarbon maritime transport operations, already under international sanctions since 2022.
