Sanctioned tankers transported over 43% of Russia’s seaborne oil last month

In August 2025, tankers under EU, US and UK sanctions transported 43.6% of Russia’s seaborne oil.

In August 2025, tankers subject to EU, US and UK sanctions transported 43.6% of Russia’s seaborne oil.

This was reported by Andriy Klymenko, project manager at the Institute for Black Sea Strategic Studies.

According to him, during transportation, sanctioned tankers passed through the Baltic Sea in the Danish Strait, through the North Sea in the Dover Strait, and also in the Mediterranean Sea in Gibraltar.

“As a result of the increase in the number of tankers under sanctions by the EU, the USA, the UK, etc., only one indicator is increasing – the volume of oil transported by “sanctioned” tankers. Even in the Baltic Sea, where the geography is most favorable, in January 2025 we recorded 14.3% of sanctioned tankers from the total number, and in August 2025 – already 34.8%,” said Klymenko.

In the Black Sea, the year immediately began with higher indicators than in the Baltic – 25.7%, later this indicator fluctuated within 10-25.5%, but in July of this year it reached 46.1%.

“That is, in July 2025, almost half of the volumes of crude oil from the Black Sea ports of the Russian Federation were transported by sanctioned tankers,” Andriy Klymenko emphasized.

At the same time, in the Far East, the volume of Russian crude oil transported by sanctioned tankers fluctuates by months within 45-70%, a record was set, as in the Black Sea, in July 2025 – 69.3% of Russian crude oil from the Far Eastern ports of the Russian Federation was transported by sanctioned tankers.

In the North of the Russian Federation, a record was recorded in March – it amounted to 93.8% of the volumes on sanctioned tankers. In the future, this figure fluctuates by months between 78 and 94%.

In general, in August 2025, tankers under sanctions of the EU, the USA, and the UK transported 43.6% of Russian sea-based oil. That is, 9.7 million tons out of a total volume of 22.2 million tons.

“A total of 190 tankers transporting crude oil from Russian ports in August 2025 were recorded and escorted. Of these, 83 tankers were subject to sanctions. The reason for this is that the sanctions model applied by the EU and others to tankers transporting Russian oil has absolutely no effect on traffic, since it does not prohibit tankers from the sanction lists from passing through the territorial sea of ​​​​EU countries,” Andriy Klymenko emphasized.

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