And Bloomberg reported that what it called the “shadow fleet” that Moscow formed in anticipation of the sanctions, includes ships loaded with more than two billion dollars worth of oil and its derivatives, and the fleet aims to maintain the flow of Russian crude and fuel exports.
According to estimates by Vessels Value, which tracks ship sales and purchases, Moscow spent regarding $1.4 billion last year to strengthen its naval fleet with crude ships, and more than $850 million for fuel tankers.
Shipping companies say that the withdrawal of more ships to what they called the “Russian shadow fleet for oil transportation” has ignited the cost of sea freight.
The companies indicated that 100 fuel tankers have been sold to countries outside the Group of Seven or the European Union since the start of the war on Ukraine.
Estimates of the commodities company Trafigura showed that the Russian fleet includes 600 ships, including 400 crude oil tankers.
Ships transporting refined fuel across the Atlantic are making gains of $55,000, following hitting a low of $10,000 per day earlier this month, and crude oil tankers are approaching a similar number following briefly exceeding $100,000 a day in late March last year. (Al Jazeera)
