Articles
Violations of the embargo on the imports of crude oil from Russia into the EU in March 2023 (database)
31 March 2023
In March 2023, 4 violations of the EU embargo on seaborne imports of Russian crude oil from the Black Sea were recorded. All of them involved the delivery of oil to a transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf off the coast of Greece. Shipowners from Greece, UAE, India and Marshall Islands performed 1 voyage each. A total of 476,449 tons of Russian crude oil were delivered to the transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf in violation of the embargo, compared with 975,520 tons in February 2023 and 1,274,281 tons in January 2023.
In March 2023, 56 Tankers exported Kazakh Oil from the Russian Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk (Database)
31 March 2023
In March 2023, a total of 56 tankers exported CPC oil from the Russian port of Novorossiysk, excluding the exports to Bulgaria and Romania. Together they exported a total of about 7.8 million tons of oil, including 4.6 million tons to the EU and 3.2 million tons to other countries.
Violation of the Embargo on Russia’s Crude Oil Imports to the EU in February-March 2023
29 March 2023
In February-March 2023, we have recorded a decrease in the number of violations of the EU embargo on Russian crude oil sea imports from the Black Sea ports. While in January there were 12 such violations, in February their number dropped to 7, and in March — to 4 cases. Unlike in the previous two months, in March 2023, there were no deliveries of Russian crude oil directly to EU ports and only 1 of the tankers violating the embargo belongs to a company registered in an EU country, namely, Greece. The oil volume delivered from the Black Sea to the Laconian Gulf (Greece) transshipment raid also remains somewhat lower than previously recorded.
Russian Black Sea Crude Oil Exports in February-March 2023: Major Changes
24 March 2023
Between March 1-20, 2023, our recorded exports of Russian crude oil from the Black Sea to the EU were half of those in the previous month. Meanwhile, Russia's Black Sea crude oil exports to other countries in February-March 2023, developed somewhat differently than the international agencies and experts had predicted. In the first 15 days of March 2023 alone, compared to the 28 days of February 2023, the volume of Russian crude oil exports actually increased by 41.8%, or 783,339 tons, totaling 3,133,165 tons, which set an absolute record for the year and became the most important development of those three months.
The Black Sea «Grain Corridor» between September 2022 - March 2023 — New Highlights
17 March 2023
The average daily number of ships arriving at the ports of Odesa as part of the «Black Sea Grain Initiative» is one of the indicators of military risks for the region. While in September 2022, it averaged 5.9 vessels per day, in October – 5.1, in November 2022 – 3.3, in December – 3.2, in January 2023 – 2.8, in February – 2.5 and between March 1-10, 2023 – 2.8 vessels per day. The decrease is the result of Russia conscious policy of inspecting no more than 3-4 vessels per day as part of its joint inspections with Turkey. The RF agreement to extend the «grain initiative» for 60, instead of the previous 120 days, is predetermined by the single factor — the May 14, 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey.
181 tankers exported crude oil and petroleum products from Russian Black Sea ports in February 2023: The database
28 February 2023
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews, based on the results of its own monitoring, presents a database of seaborne exports of crude oil and petroleum products from Russian ports on the Black and Azov Seas in February 2023. In total, in February 2023, 181 tankers exported oil and petroleum products from Russian ports (excluding exports to Bulgaria and Romania). They transported a total of about 12.2 million tons of cargo.
Violations of the embargo on the imports of crude oil from Russia into the EU in February 2023 (database)
28 February 2023
In February 2023, 7 violations of the EU embargo on seaborne imports of Russian crude oil from the Black Sea were recorded. All of them involved the delivery of oil to a transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf off the coast of Greece. 5 such voyages were made by tankers belonging to companies from Greece, 2 shipowners from Denmark and Liberia performed 1 voyage each. A total of 975,520 tons of Russian crude oil were delivered to the transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf in violation of the embargo, compared with 1,274,281 tons in January 2023 and 1,019,247 tons in December 2022.
In February 2023, 46 Tankers exported Kazakh Oil from the Russian Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk (Database)
28 February 2023
In February 2023, a total of 46 tankers exported CPC oil from the Russian port of Novorossiysk, excluding the exports to Bulgaria and Romania. Together they exported a total of about 6.4 million tons of oil, including 4 million tons to the EU and 2.4 million tons to other countries.
A fleet of drones and the new naval warfare
24 February 2023
Such modern naval warfare does not render International Law irrelevant. On the contrary, the distinction between applicable legal regimes and possible classifications become even more crucial for the sake of clarity and predictability of law and warfare. Here it is necessary to differentiate between 2 distinct regimes applicable to naval drones used either in times of peace or during an ongoing armed conflict. The latter is clearly the case of Sevastopol and Novorossiysk drone attacks conducted in the framework of military hostilities between Russia and Ukraine “plainly engaged in an international armed conflict’.
Trends in Russian exports of petroleum products from the Black Sea before the embargo. January 2023
24 February 2023
In contrast to crude oil exports, in January 2023, Russia’s petroleum products exports from Black Sea ports decreased sharply by 19.7%, or by almost 0.8 million tons. The reduction occurred both in exports to EU and non-EU countries. EU states accounted for 84% of the total decline in the exports. Among EU countries, Greece traditionally remained the largest importer (67%); among non-EU countries, it was Turkey with 60.6%. About half of the total volume of Russian petroleum products was transported by Greek tankers, and 64% – by tankers of EU countries. With its own tanker fleet, Russia is able to transport only 1/7 of the total export volume of its petroleum products from the Black and Azov seas.
In January 2023, Russia made up for the reduction in its Black Sea crude oil exports to the EU by increasing exports to non-EU countries: Monitoring
15 February 2023
In December 2022 and January 2023, the volume of Russia’s Black Sea crude oil exports to non-EU countries grew by 0.4 million tons, or 25%, each month. In January 2023, we recorded the highest export volume since April 2022 – 2,394,306 tons. Thus, in January 2023, Russia managed to make up for the reduction in its Black Sea crude oil exports to "EU+" states by increasing its exports to non-EU countries. The total volume of Russia’s Black Sea exports of crude oil, which began to plummet in June 2022, entered the stage of a rapid recovery in November 2022.
Russia’s crude oil exports from the Black Sea to EU countries in January 2023. Violations of the embargo again?
09 February 2023
In January 2023, under the embargo, the volume of Russia’s crude oil exports from Black Sea ports to EU countries was 1.27 million tons. Compared to December 2022, it increased by 25%. Russian oil was transported to 4 EU countries: Greece – 961,124 tons (75% of the total volume), Spain – 159,058 tons, the Netherlands – 103,755 tons, and Slovenia – 50,344 tons. Of the 12 oil tankers that carried Russian crude oil to EU countries in January 2023, 8 tankers are owned and operated by companies registered in Greece, Denmark, and Cyprus. The remaining 4 – by companies registered in Turkey, the Marshall Islands, and the subsidiaries of the Russian Sovcomflot, registered in Dubai.
200 tankers exported crude oil and petroleum products from Russian Black Sea ports in January 2023: The database
31 January 2023
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews, based on the results of its own monitoring, presents a database of seaborne exports of crude oil and petroleum products from Russian ports on the Black and Azov Seas in January 2023. In total, in January 2023, 200 tankers exported oil and petroleum products from Russian ports (excluding exports to Bulgaria and Romania). They transported a total of about 12.9 million tons of cargo.
Violations of the embargo on the imports of crude oil from Russia into the EU in January 2023 (database)
31 January 2023
In January 2023, 12 violations of the EU embargo on seaborne imports of Russian crude oil from the Black Sea were recorded. All of them involved the delivery of oil to a transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf off the coast of Greece. 6 such voyages were made by tankers belonging to companies from Greece, 2 – by a shipowner from Turkey, 4 voyages were made by tankers belonging to companies from Denmark, UAE, Cyprus and Marshall Islands one per each. A total of 1,274,281 tons of Russian crude oil were delivered to the transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf in violation of the embargo, compared with 1,019,247 tons in December 2022.
In January 2023, 44 Tankers exported Kazakh Oil from the Russian Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk (Database)
31 January 2023
In January 2023, a total of 44 tankers exported CPC oil from the Russian port of Novorossiysk, excluding the exports to Bulgaria and Romania. Together they exported a total of about 5.9 million tons of oil, including 3.2 million tons to the EU and 2.7 million tons to other countries.