A resolution urging the Trump Administration to seize shadow fleet vessels transporting sanctioned oil from the Russian Federation.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Graham (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This Senate Resolution condemns Russia's use of "shadow fleet" vessels to evade international oil sanctions and urges the Trump Administration to seize these ships. The resolution aims to cut off a major funding source for Russia's war in Ukraine by enforcing existing sanctions more aggressively.
Who Benefits and How
Ukraine benefits strategically as reduced Russian oil revenues would limit funding for the war. Non-Russian oil exporters, including U.S. and OPEC producers, could gain market share if Russian oil exports are successfully disrupted. Western sanctions regimes gain credibility through stronger enforcement.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil face potential revenue losses as their export channels are targeted. Shadow fleet vessel operators risk having their ships seized by U.S. or allied authorities. Entities facilitating sanctioned Russian oil transport face increased legal and financial risks.
Key Provisions
- Condemns the use of shadow fleet vessels (at least 561 ships) to transport sanctioned Russian oil
- Urges the Trump Administration to seize shadow fleet vessels engaged in transporting Russian oil
- Declares that seizing such vessels is a lawful and appropriate response to sanctions evasion
- Calls on U.S. allies and partners to also seize shadow fleet vessels
- References the December 2025 seizure of the M/T Skipper as precedent for such enforcement actions
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
A Senate Resolution condemning the use of shadow fleet vessels to transport sanctioned Russian oil and urging the Trump Administration to seize such vessels to counter sanctions evasion and disrupt funding for Russia's war in Ukraine.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Use non-binding Senate resolution to express sense of Congress and urge executive action on sanctions enforcement against Russian oil exports."
Likely Beneficiaries
- Ukraine (strategic support)
- U.S. national security interests
- Western sanctions regime credibility
- Non-Russian oil exporters (competitive benefit)
Likely Burden Bearers
- Russian Federation oil industry (Rosneft, Lukoil)
- Shadow fleet vessel operators and owners
- Entities facilitating Russian oil transport
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "ofac"
- → Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury
- "the_senate"
- → United States Senate
- "the_trump_administration"
- → Executive Branch under President Trump
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A fleet of at least 561 ships used by the Russian Federation to evade sanctions, carrying between 60-80% of Russian crude exports in recent quarters.
Oil exports from the Russian Federation subject to Western sanctions, EU sanctions, and G7 price caps imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology