Ukraine tells IMO that Russian shadow fleet tankers may be legitimate targets

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba has sent a letter to the International Maritime Organization setting out Kyiv's view that Russian oil and gas tankers funding Moscow's war could be treated as legitimate military targets, the Kyiv Post reported. Kuleba argued that such vessels are central to generating Russian budget revenue and the continuation of the war, and questioned whether their voyages can be seen as purely commercial. The letter followed Russian accusations of terrorism over an attack on the Arctic Metagaz in March. Ukraine rejected that characterisation, citing Russian attacks on 59 merchant vessels since 2022, including grain ships near Odesa.

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