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Over the course of the G7 and EU embargo, i.e., from 05.12.22 to 31.12.23, Russian crude oil was exported from the Black Sea to 28 countries totaling 47.5 million tons. In violation of the embargo, 7 EU countries imported the total of 9.6 million tons, or20.22%. Greece became the largest EU importer, accounting for 3/4 of all imports to the EU. In addition to the EU, 21 Asian and African countries imported the total of 37.9 million tons , or 79.78%. Of those countries, India was the largest importer, accounting for 14.7 million tons, or 38.9% of the non-European volumes. The overall ranking of importing countries is as follows: India — 31.04%; Greece — 15.23%; Singapore — 11.92%, China -10.82% and Turkey - 10.7%.

In January 2024, i.e. 31 days, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out at least 12 attacks on targets in the occupied Crimean Peninsula. This includes at least 6 attacks in Sevastopol; 4 in Western Crimea; and 2 along the Black Sea coast of the Russian Federation.

Over the period of the EU and G7 embargo, Russian crude oil was exported from 4 locations in the Black Sea: 3 ports — Novorossiysk, Taman and Tuapse — and a transshipment point 15 nautical miles south of the entrance from the Black Sea to the Kerch Strait (outside the 12-mile zone, i.e., the territorial sea, of Ukraine and Russia). According to our monitoring data, those 4 tanker departure points can be ranked as follows: Novorossiysk — 28, 277, 340 tons, 59.46% of the total volume; transshipment point— 7,431,708 tons, 15.63%; Taman — 6, 285, 003 tons, 13.21%; Tuapse (RU TUA TUAPSE) — 5,566,767 tons, 11.70%.

Over the 12 months of 2023, the Russian Armed Forces used the occupied Crimea to strike at the regions of Ukraine, including with: 230 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles – from ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (no launches registered since September 25, 2023); at least 1250 Shahed-136/131 UAVs launches, not including those launched from the Russian regions; 62 Iskander ballistic missiles and 25 P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles. The Monitoring Group of the BlackSeaNews and the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies Based on the results of our own monitoring presents the database Russian Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Attacks on the Regions of Ukraine from the Occupied Crimea in January-December 2023.

The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews, based on the results of its own monitoring, publishes an analysis of companies transporting Russian crude oil from Black Sea ports during the period from 05 December 2022 – when the EU and G7 embargo was imposed – to 31 December 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 attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles on the territory of occupied Crimea and Russian ships in the Black Sea in January-December 2023. From January to December 2023, i.e., over 365 days, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out at least 184 attacks on targets in Crimean peninsula and Russian Black Sea Fleet, averaging one every other day.

The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews based on the results of its own monitoring, presents below an analysis of Russian crude oil exports from Black Sea seaports over the period of the EU/G7 embargo — 05/12/2022 - 31/12/2023.

In December 2023, 6 violations of the EU embargo on seaborne imports of Russian crude oil from the Black Sea were recorded. Four of them involved the delivery of crude oil to a transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf off the coast of Greece. Another two violations were the shipments of crude oil from Novorossiysk directly to the ports of GDANSK, Poland and SANTA PANAGIA, Spain. Three voyages were made by tankers belonging to companies from Greece. Two shipowners were from Marshall Islands and one was from Hong Kong, China. In December 2023, a total of 784,566 tons of Russian crude oil were delivered to the EU in violation of the embargo, compared with 683,186 tons in November 2023.

In December 2023, 16 violations of the EU embargo on seaborne imports of Russian petroleum products (excluding crude oil) from the Black Sea were recorded. 1 direct voyage with petroleum products from Russian ports to the port of EU country was made. The remaining 15 violations involved the delivery of petroleum products to a transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf off the coast of Greece, Cyprus and Malta. In December 2023, 35,648 tons of Russian petroleum products were delivered directly to the port of EU country and 516,245 tons were shipped to the transshipment point.

In December 2023, a total of 47 tankers exported CPC oil from the Russian port of Novorossiysk, excluding the exports to Bulgaria and Romania. Together they exported a total of about 6.6 million tons of oil, including 4.7 million tons to the EU and 1.9 million tons to other countries.

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 December 2023. In total, in December 2023, 194 tankers exported oil and petroleum products from Russian ports (excluding exports to Bulgaria and Romania). They transported a total of about 12.8 million tons of cargo, including 2.7 million tons of Russian crude oil (24 tankers), 6.6 million tons of Kazakh CPC crude oil (47  tankers), and 3.5 million tons of Russian petroleum products (123 tankers).

Over the 11 months of 2023, the Russian Armed Forces used the occupied Crimea to strike at the regions of Ukraine, including with: 230 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles – from ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (no launches registered since September 25, 2023); at least 750 Shahed-136/131 UAVs launches, not including those launched from the Russian regions; 62 Iskander ballistic missiles and 25 P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles. The Monitoring Group of the BlackSeaNews and the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies Based on the results of our own monitoring presents the database Russian Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Attacks on the Regions of Ukraine from the Occupied Crimea in January-November 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 attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles on the territory of occupied Crimea and Russian ships in the Black Sea in January-November 2023. From January to November 2023, i.e., over 334 days, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out at least 168 attacks on targets in Crimean peninsula and Russian Black Sea Fleet, averaging one every other day.

In November 2023, 16 violations of the EU embargo on seaborne imports of Russian petroleum products (excluding crude oil) from the Black Sea were recorded. 3 direct voyages with petroleum products from Russian ports to the ports of EU countries were made, as well as one direct voyage from Novorossiysk to the US Naval Station in Norfolk, VA (USA). The remaining 12 violations involved the delivery of petroleum products to a transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf off the coast of Greece. In November 2023, 81,733 tons of Russian petroleum products were delivered directly to the ports of EU countries and the US and 449,251 tons were shipped to the transshipment point. A total of 530,984 tons of Russian petroleum products were delivered to the EU in November 2023 in violation of the embargo.

In November 2023, 5 violations of the EU embargo on seaborne imports of Russian crude oil from the Black Sea were recorded. Three of them involved the delivery of crude oil to a transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf off the coast of Greece. Another two violations were the shipments of crude oil from Novorossiysk directly to the port of ANCONA, Italy and CARTAGENA, Spain. Two voyages were made by tankers belonging to companies from Greece. Shipowners from Turkey, UK and Seychelles performed one voyage each. In November 2023, a total of 683,186 tons of Russian crude oil were delivered to the EU in violation of the embargo, compared with 274,240 tons in October 2023.