Klymenko spoke about the violation of the EU embargo on oil products of the Russian Federation

The embargo of the EU and the G7 countries on oil products of the Russian Federation is being violated. Ukraine continues to try to include Greek shipowners in the list of war sponsors.

“Some of my colleagues couldn’t quite believe how the EU/G7 embargo on oil products of the Russian Federation could be so brazenly violated when a Greek tanker from Novorossiysk arrived at the port in Sardinia, Italy. Or a tanker belonging to a company from the USA goes from Novorossiysk to the port of Rouen, France,” said Andriy Klymenko, head of the Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Strategic Research Institute.

According to him, the embargo works with control and fixations. In particular, from June 23, 2023, such tankers were prohibited from entering the ports of EU countries.

In May 2023, the participation of tankers owned by Greek shipowners in embargo violations increased.

“It was 54.5% – 12 tankers out of 22. Ukraine’s efforts to include five Greek ship-owning companies in the list of war sponsors led to Greece’s long-term blocking of the 11th package of EU sanctions,” the expert notes.

Read also: in February 2023, the EU embargo on Russian oil and oil products entered into force.

In May of this year, an increase in cases of violations of the EU and G7 embargo on the import of Russian oil products by sea from the ports of the Black and Azov seas was recorded. The volume of transportation was 896 thousand 840 tons.

The majority of violations – 17 out of 22 in May – relate to the supply of petroleum products for raid transshipment in the exclusive maritime economic zone of the EU countries – Greece and Malta.

“Also, demonstrative violations of the embargo sharply increased in May, when tankers carry out flights with Russian oil products directly from the ports of the Russian Federation to the ports of the EU and the USA. If in February 2023 there was one such flight, and in March and April – two each, then in May – five,” emphasized Andriy Klymenko.

Five direct flights with oil products from Russian ports to the ports of EU countries (Sarroc, Italy; Agios Theodori, Greece; Rijeka, Croatia; Rouen, France) and the USA (Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania) were carried out by tankers belonging to ship owners from Greece and the USA.

Another nine out of 17 flights with Russian oil products to raid transshipments were carried out by tankers belonging to Greek ship owners.