Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Zelenskyy said Russia’s revenues should remain a target of international pressure and called for continued restrictions on trade with Moscow. He also pointed to Ukraine’s own attacks on Russian energy infrastructure as part of an effort to reduce the resources available to Russia’s war effort.

His remarks came as Ukraine and its partners continue to pursue sanctions against Russia while Moscow seeks to maintain energy exports and other sources of foreign income.

Zelenskyy links Russian revenue to the war effort

Zelenskyy argued that countries trading with Russia provide Moscow with resources that can extend the conflict.

“When someone gives Russia more money through trade, they give this war more time,” he said in his address, according to the Associated Press. He called for continued efforts to restrict Russian trade and said Ukraine was also targeting Russia’s ability to generate income.

The Ukrainian president specifically distinguished between attacking oil as a commodity and targeting the financial capacity behind Russia’s military campaign.

His argument comes amid continuing Ukrainian strikes against Russian energy infrastructure. Ukraine has said such attacks are intended to disrupt fuel production and reduce the revenue available to finance Russia’s war.

The policy has also generated concern about the effects of disruptions to energy markets, particularly as Russia remains a major oil producer.

Western sanctions remain a central tool

The appeal comes as the United States and European countries continue to use sanctions against Russian companies, officials and energy-related activities.

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said its Russia sanctions are intended to put pressure on Moscow to end the war. Its September 18 guidance also addressed the possible divestment of assets belonging to Lukoil International, with conditions designed to prevent proceeds from providing a financial benefit to the sanctioned Russian parent company.

The United States has also recently enacted a broader Russia sanctions law.

The legislation targets Russian officials, financial institutions and parts of the country’s energy-export infrastructure. It gives the U.S. president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries purchasing specified Russian energy products, subject to conditions and exemptions.

The measure followed months of negotiations in Congress and was signed into law on September 18.

Its practical effect will depend on how the administration implements the authorities provided by the legislation.

Ukraine is seeking broader European pressure

Zelenskyy has also been pressing European governments to maintain and expand sanctions.

On September 22, he met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New York, where they discussed additional sanctions against Russia and Ukraine’s financial needs.

Zelenskyy argued that signals about easing sanctions on individual Russian oligarchs would weaken pressure on Moscow. He thanked von der Leyen for her willingness to support additional Russian designations.

A separate meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen focused on EU sanctions policy and continued support for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said Russia’s continued escalation should result in stronger sanctions rather than reduced pressure.

The discussions illustrate that sanctions policy remains an active diplomatic issue rather than a settled international position.

Russia says it remains open to negotiations

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also addressed the United Nations on Wednesday.

Lavrov said Moscow was prepared to negotiate toward a lasting peace but rejected the idea of simply pausing the war. He argued that a pause would give Ukraine and its supporters additional time to increase their military capabilities.

Russia has consistently rejected Ukraine’s characterization of the war and has argued that its military actions are linked to its security interests.

The competing positions leave economic pressure and negotiations operating on parallel tracks.

Zelenskyy is arguing that sustained pressure on Russia’s finances can constrain its capacity to continue fighting. Moscow says it remains prepared to negotiate but has not accepted the conditions Ukraine and its Western partners have sought for ending the war.

Energy remains at the center of the pressure campaign

Russia’s energy sector remains particularly important because oil and gas exports generate foreign-currency earnings while also connecting the conflict to global commodity markets.

The U.S. Treasury has repeatedly identified Russia’s energy sector as a target of sanctions intended to reduce the resources available to Moscow.

At the same time, sanctions and disruptions to Russian energy production can affect buyers and global markets beyond the countries imposing the measures.

That creates a central difficulty for policymakers: pressure on Russia’s revenue must be balanced against the economic consequences of disrupting energy supplies.

The recent U.S. sanctions law attempts to extend that pressure beyond Russia by creating potential consequences for countries that continue purchasing certain Russian energy products.

Zelenskyy broadens the argument beyond Ukraine

The Ukrainian president used his UN appearance not only to discuss sanctions but also to argue that Russia’s war has consequences beyond Ukraine.

He described the conflict as contributing to wider instability and urged countries that maintain economic relationships with Russia to consider how those relationships affect the war.

Zelenskyy also criticized what he described as Russia’s use of foreign nationals in its military effort, calling on governments to protect their citizens from being drawn into the conflict.

His broader message was that international pressure should continue while diplomatic efforts remain active.

For Ukraine, the financial dimension is inseparable from the military one: reducing Russia’s ability to generate revenue is presented as another way of limiting its capacity to sustain the conflict.

The pressure campaign faces practical limits

The international sanctions regime has reduced or constrained some Russian economic activity, but it has not eliminated Moscow’s access to export revenue.

Russia continues to sell commodities to international buyers, while restrictions have also encouraged the development of alternative shipping, financial and trading arrangements.

The effectiveness of additional measures therefore depends on enforcement, compliance by third countries and Russia’s ability to adapt.

The newly enacted U.S. sanctions law illustrates the issue. The legislation gives Washington additional tools, but the economic effect will depend on whether and how those authorities are used.

For Zelenskyy, however, the message at the UN was straightforward: economic pressure should remain part of the international response to Russia’s war.

“Russia’s revenues must remain a target,” he told the General Assembly.

The appeal now moves from the UN podium to governments that control sanctions policy, trade relationships and enforcement.

Reporting Credit: United Nations General Assembly — September 23, 2026 General Debate; Office of the President of Ukraine — Zelenskyy’s meetings and sanctions discussions with international partners; U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control — Russia-related sanctions and enforcement guidance; U.S. Congress — Russia sanctions legislation enacted September 18, 2026; European Commission — EU sanctions policy and financial-support discussions.

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The attack hit the industrial city about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) from Ukraine. Ukraine’s military said it struck the Taneco oil refinery, while Russian officials said drones targeted industrial and civilian sites.

The attack was among the deadliest reported Ukrainian strikes inside Russia during the war. It also demonstrated Kyiv’s ability to reach strategic targets deep inside Russian territory.

This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.

Civilian casualties reported in Nizhnekamsk

Russian authorities said a drone struck a hostel in Nizhnekamsk, killing nine people. The reported dead included foreign nationals and a child.

Uzbekistan’s consular office in Tatarstan said seven Uzbek citizens were among those killed.

Authorities reported 78 people injured and declared Monday a day of mourning in Tatarstan.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck the Taneco oil refinery and caused a fire. Russian officials did not identify the refinery as the target in their initial statements.

The two sides provided different accounts of the targets and damage. Those claims could not be independently verified.

Russian oil infrastructure remains a major target

Nizhnekamsk is a major Russian oil-refining and petrochemical center.

Ukraine has increasingly used long-range drones against Russian energy facilities. Kyiv says these operations are intended to reduce Russia’s ability to finance and sustain its war effort.

The latest attack also underscores the growing range of Ukrainian drone operations.

Some previous Ukrainian strikes have reached areas more than 1,000 kilometers from the country’s border. Tatarstan has previously been targeted because of its concentration of oil, petrochemical and military-related industries.

Separate strike reported in western Siberia

Russian authorities also reported a fire at an industrial facility in the Tyumen region on Monday.

Tyumen Gov. Alexander Moor confirmed the fire but did not identify the facility.

Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces damaged part of a petrochemical complex in Tobolsk. Kyiv said the facility produces fuel and other industrial materials.

The claim could not be independently verified.

Russia calls for international condemnation

Russia’s Foreign Ministry called on foreign governments and international organizations to condemn the Ukrainian attacks.

The strikes came as Russia continued its own aerial campaign against Ukraine.

The United Nations has reported a sharp increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine this year. Ukrainian authorities also reported casualties from Russian attacks on Monday.

The World Health Organization said a warehouse containing emergency medical supplies in Ukraine’s Dnipro region was hit. The organization said supplies worth about $500,000 were destroyed.

Ukraine expands attacks on Russian logistics

Ukraine has also targeted Russian transport infrastructure that supports military operations.

Ukrainian authorities say their forces have struck roads, railways and bridges used to move fuel, ammunition and military personnel.

Kyiv has argued that attacks on Russian energy and transport infrastructure can weaken Moscow’s ability to sustain its military campaign.

Russia, however, continues to maintain its own extensive missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian territory.

The latest strike in Tatarstan is likely to keep attention on the expanding range of Ukraine’s drone campaign and the vulnerability of Russian industrial infrastructure far from the front line.

The Associated Press, with additional verification against publicly reported statements from Russian and Ukrainian authorities.

Independent verification note: Russian and Ukrainian accounts differ over the specific targets and damage. Claims about the Taneco refinery and the separate Tyumen strike remain subject to independent verification.

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European authorities are tracking a growing network of Russian “shadow” oil tankers that bypass sanctions by sailing under false or suspended flags. These vessels raise environmental, security, and regulatory concerns while continuing to deliver oil to international markets, including China and India. Naval and coastguard agencies face limits in enforcing sanctions at sea, highlighting the complexity of maritime law.

Tracking the Shadow Fleet

In the western Baltic Sea, Swedish coastguard officers routinely challenge oil tankers suspected of violating sanctions. Using radio calls, officers ask crews to provide details about insurance, flag state, and last port of call. One tanker, Unity, recently reported departing from Suez, Egypt, with intentions reportedly to reach Russian ports.

Jonatan Tholin, a Swedish maritime investigator, explains that such vessels are part of the Kremlin’s “shadow fleet,” a collection of tankers used to evade Western oil price caps imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some of these ships are suspected of engaging in illegal activities, including undersea sabotage, illicit drone launches, and location data manipulation.

Legal and Regulatory Challenges

Maritime law grants countries limited authority to intervene in international waters. Many shadow ships operate without valid national flags, effectively becoming stateless and uninsured. Michelle Wiese Bockmann, senior maritime intelligence analyst at Windward AI, warns that accidents involving these vessels, such as large-scale oil spills, could leave regulators struggling to hold anyone accountable.

The International Maritime Organization reports that the number of falsely flagged ships has more than doubled this year, reaching over 450 globally, most of them tankers. Estonian Navy head Commodore Ivo Värk notes a sharp rise in such vessels near the Gulf of Finland, a gateway to Russia’s key oil terminals, Ust-Luga and Primorsk.

Unity – A Case Study

Unity offers a clear example of how the shadow fleet operates. Originally built in 2009 as Ocean Explorer, it sailed under Singapore’s flag for over a decade. In 2019, the vessel appeared in a UN report for transferring fuel to North Korea.

Between 2021 and 2024, the tanker changed names and flags multiple times—Ocean Vela, Beks Swan, March, and Unity—with registrations in the Marshall Islands, Panama, Russia, Gambia, and Lesotho. Despite these changes, it retains a single unique IMO number. Lesotho, a landlocked African nation, does not maintain an official shipping registry, meaning the vessel’s current flag is effectively invalid.

Unity’s movements illustrate the fleet’s evasive patterns. In the past year, it navigated through the English Channel four times, often between Russian ports and India, which has not signed the oil price cap. By early November, Unity was anchored outside Ust-Luga, despite being sanctioned by the UK and EU.

Enforcement Limitations

Naval officers caution that intervention at sea is constrained. The right of innocent passage allows ships to navigate international waters, though stateless vessels technically lack this protection. Countries such as France, Finland, and Estonia have detained shadow ships suspected of criminal activity, but these operations are rare due to potential escalation.

Commodore Värk recounts an incident in May when Estonia attempted to intercept a flagless tanker, prompting Russia to deploy a fighter jet. Since then, Russian naval vessels have maintained a continuous presence in the Gulf of Finland. NATO officials note that monitoring such vessels serves as a deterrent while avoiding direct confrontation.

Global Oil Market Impact

Shadow fleet tankers continue to generate substantial revenue for Russia. The International Energy Agency reports that Russian crude and oil product sales totaled $13.1 billion in October, down from $15.4 billion a year earlier. Analysis from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air indicates that shadow tankers account for 62% of shipped Russian crude oil, with China, India, Turkey, and the EU as major buyers.

Opaque ownership and frequent name or flag changes complicate tracking. Windward AI estimates that the beneficial owners of 60% of these vessels remain unknown, highlighting the difficulty of enforcing sanctions in maritime trade.

Security and Environmental Concerns

Experts warn that the shadow fleet poses both environmental and security risks. Ships with poor maintenance may cause spills or accidents. The combination of stateless operations, sanctions evasion, and proximity to sensitive infrastructure increases the potential for incidents.

Bockmann describes the situation as a visible erosion of international maritime rules. “The dark fleet is getting darker,” she says, emphasizing the stakes for both environmental protection and global security.

Russia’s Response

Russia’s embassy in London dismissed the term “shadow fleet” as misleading and discriminatory. A spokesperson argued that Western sanctions are “illegitimate” and disrupt established commercial practices. They added that invalid flags are often due to administrative delays and that restrictive regulations force shipowners to navigate a fragmented legal landscape.

Outlook

Europe continues to monitor and document the shadow fleet, balancing enforcement with the risk of confrontation. Naval and coastguard authorities emphasize that surveillance and reporting can serve as a deterrent, even when direct intervention is limited. Analysts warn that without international cooperation, shadow fleet activity may continue to challenge sanctions, maritime law, and global energy security.

Source: BBC – On the front line of Europe’s standoff with Russia’s sanction-busting shadow fleet

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