Canada has imposed additional sanctions on 100 vessels linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” the Canadian Foreign Ministry announced.
“To further strengthen our efforts to counter Russia’s sanctions evasion, Canada is adding 100 more vessels from Russia’s shadow fleet to its sanctions list,” the Mar. 26 statement on the ministry’s website read.
The document notes that Russia continues to rely on oil and gas revenues to fund its military operations in Ukraine, using a network of vessels and auxiliary organizations — primarily oil tankers — to transport sanctioned goods and raw materials, including crude oil.
The ministry emphasized that its sanctions are aimed at limiting Russia’s ability to finance the war while minimizing harm to the civilian population.
Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and other Western countries have repeatedly imposed sanctions on the “shadow fleet” and have been seizing such vessels with increasing frequency..
Russia’s “shadow fleet” consists of hundreds of aging tankers, formally owned by offshore companies and often sailing under false flags. The Kremlin and affiliated traders use the fleet to circumvent sanctions, including the price cap on Russian oil. According to the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), in the first nine months of 2025 alone, over 100 Russian vessels used false flags to transport around 11 million tons of oil worth €4.7 billion.
