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Spotlight | Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
Turkish hub at heart of Ukraine and Europe's hunt for Russia's shadow fleet

By Théo Sou

Published on 25.06.2026 at 04:00 GMT Reading time 7 min

A view of Istanbul, Turkey, on 18 June 2026. © Cem Tekkesinoglu/Anadolu via AFP

Thanks to unprecedented cooperation, EU member states' and Kyiv intelligence services have found that Turkey has become a hub for Russia's shadow fleet. A network of companies in Istanbul now provides Moscow's preferred way to smuggle oil, an activity that remains legal under Turkish law.

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Spotlight | Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
Turkish hub at heart of Ukraine and Europe's hunt for Russia's shadow fleet

Thanks to unprecedented cooperation, EU member states' and Kyiv intelligence services have found that Turkey has become a hub for Russia's shadow fleet. A network of companies in Istanbul now provides Moscow's preferred way to smuggle oil, an activity that remains legal under Turkish law.

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Related topics to this article

Read also

Spotlight | European Union, Greece
Athens's cautious stance towards Russian shadow fleet irks Brussels and Paris

European Union, Russia
Brussels seeks to tighten noose around Moscow's shadow fleet

Spotlight | Russia, Turkey
Russia rejigs covert military shipping via Turkey

European Union, France
French firm collateral victim of EU probe into Russia's shadow fleet

European Union, Russia
Brussels tracks flag-swapping moves of Russian shadow fleet

Russia
The 'Night Glory', part of Russia's ghost fleet, is in safe hands

Spotlight | Russia, Ukraine
Ukrainian intelligence's 'Group 13' takes hunt for Russia's ghost fleet to the Mediterranean

Spotlight | UAE
Despite US sanctions, it's business as usual for oil trading in the Emirates

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Spotlight | Russia, Turkey, Ukraine Turkish hub at heart of Ukraine and Europe's hunt for Russia's shadow fleet

Thanks to unprecedented cooperation, EU member states' and Kyiv intelligence services have found that Turkey has become a hub for Russia's shadow fleet. A network of companies in Istanbul now provides Moscow's preferred way to smuggle oil, an activity that remains legal under Turkish law.

This article may be accessed by subscribers

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

Create your free account

create a free account

Related topics to this article

Read also

Spotlight | European Union, Greece Athens's cautious stance towards Russian shadow fleet irks Brussels and Paris

European Union, Russia Brussels seeks to tighten noose around Moscow's shadow fleet

Spotlight | Russia, Turkey Russia rejigs covert military shipping via Turkey

European Union, France French firm collateral victim of EU probe into Russia's shadow fleet

European Union, Russia Brussels tracks flag-swapping moves of Russian shadow fleet

Russia The 'Night Glory', part of Russia's ghost fleet, is in safe hands

Spotlight | Russia, Ukraine Ukrainian intelligence's 'Group 13' takes hunt for Russia's ghost fleet to the Mediterranean

Spotlight | UAE Despite US sanctions, it's business as usual for oil trading in the Emirates

About Intelligence Online

Subscription

Intelligence Online on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

Spotlight | Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
Turkish hub at heart of Ukraine and Europe's hunt for Russia's shadow fleet

Spotlight | European Union, Greece
Athens's cautious stance towards Russian shadow fleet irks Brussels and Paris

European Union, Russia
Brussels seeks to tighten noose around Moscow's shadow fleet

Spotlight | Russia, Turkey
Russia rejigs covert military shipping via Turkey

European Union, France
French firm collateral victim of EU probe into Russia's shadow fleet

European Union, Russia
Brussels tracks flag-swapping moves of Russian shadow fleet

Russia
The 'Night Glory', part of Russia's ghost fleet, is in safe hands

Spotlight | Russia, Ukraine
Ukrainian intelligence's 'Group 13' takes hunt for Russia's ghost fleet to the Mediterranean

Spotlight | UAE
Despite US sanctions, it's business as usual for oil trading in the Emirates