Ruptly
"German MP Markus Frohnmaier said during a Bundestag debate in Berlin on Friday that Western sanctions had 'failed to weaken' Russia, arguing Moscow was boosting revenues via its so-called 'shadow fleet' while Germans bore the economic cost. "The shadow fleet is not the cause of the problem. It is the consequence of a failed sanctions regime. The sanctions were supposed to empty Putin's war chest. In reality, they are emptying the wallets of our citizens," Frohnmaier asserted. "Russia now has billions in additional revenue through the shadow tankers from crude oil exports. You have not isolated Russia; you have driven it into the arms of Beijing and into networking with Asia. The Germans are paying the price for this," he added. It comes as the German Bundestag considered a Greens motion targeting Russia's 'shadow fleet' - a network of oil tankers allegedly used to evade sanctions on energy exports. Despite repeated sanctions, officials say a large share of Russian oil still moves through this system, sustaining Moscow's revenues. Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air suggests that nearly 48 percent of Russia's seaborne oil is now carried by sanctioned shadow tankers, with export revenues reaching about €713 million per day in March 2026, the highest level in two years. The spike follows a 52 percent jump in monthly fossil fuel earnings. European authorities have responded by increasing maritime surveillance, including treating some vessels as stateless to allow inspections and detentions at sea. In March, Sweden boarded the Sea Owl I, and France detained the Deyna under these grounds. The Kremlin has consistently rejected Western claims about the shadow fleet, saying sanctions are 'illegal' and 'counterproductive,' and warning that efforts to restrict Russian oil exports could disrupt global energy markets."
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