Zelenskyy urged Europe not to release detained tankers of the “shadow fleet”
23.01.2026 - 12:30
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on allies in Europe not to release detained tankers with Russian oil.
He said this during a conversation with journalists, hromadske reports.
“Europe does a lot, we have good relations. But tankers with Russian oil, for example, have been traveling through Europe all this year. Yesterday, however, was one of the few cases when France stopped a tanker. Before that, it had already been there once or twice, and then they let it go. We need to press: if a tanker with Russian oil is stopped, it should not be released later,” Zelenskyy commented.
The President thanked his partners for all the sanctions packages against the Russian Federation, but emphasized that Russia is finding ways to circumvent the restrictions.
Recall, on Thursday, January 22, the French Navy arrested a tanker that was heading from Russia and is subject to international sanctions.
