Bloomberg counts 53 sanctioned Russia-linked tankers sitting idle

Fifty-three tankers sanctioned since October 2023 over Russian oil trade are lying empty and idle around the world, according to a Bloomberg analysis published by Fortune. The vessels were blacklisted by the US Treasury, the UK or the European Union for breaching the G7 price cap of $60 a barrel, for belonging to state-owned Sovcomflot, or for posing environmental risks. Ten are in the Black Sea, nine off China and South Korea, eight around the Suez Canal and six near Ust-Luga. Bloomberg says only three have loaded cargoes since being sanctioned, using tactics such as switching off tracking systems and hidden cargo transfers. Falling freight rates suggest the sanctions have not greatly raised Russia's costs per cargo, it adds.

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