Zelenskyy calls for sanctions on Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ amid drone incursions in Europe

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the international community to impose tougher sanctions on Russia’s oil trade and tanker fleet, citing daily large-scale attacks and Moscow’s refusal to engage in peace efforts.

In a late-night address on Sunday, Zelenskyy said sanctions should deliver a “painful blow” to Russia’s energy exports and its fleet of tankers. He claimed, citing intelligence reports, that some of these tankers are being used to launch and control drones towards European countries.

His comments follow incidents in September 2025 when drones entered Polish airspace, which Warsaw condemned as Russian aggression. Similar unidentified drones have also been reported over Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Lithuania.

Zelenskyy argued that closing European waters to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” would be a crucial step in reducing Moscow’s capacity to wage war and destabilise the region.