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Russia's shadow fleet lets it avoid sanctions and keep exporting oil

09:39
The tanker Boracay that allegedly belongs to Russia's so-called shadow fleet, is seen Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, off Saint-Nazaire, France's Atlantic coast. (Mathieu Pattier/AP)
The tanker Boracay that allegedly belongs to Russia's so-called shadow fleet, is seen Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, off Saint-Nazaire, France's Atlantic coast. (Mathieu Pattier/AP)

Russia has amassed a shadow fleet of oil tankers that allows it to skirt around sanctions and continue to export oil to customers around the world.

Here & Now's Scott Tong speaks with Robin Brooks, a senior fellow in global economy and development at the Brookings Institution, about how this shadow fleet was created and how it's able to maintain energy exports.

This segment aired on November 26, 2025.

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