Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia is imposing new sanctions on 180 individuals, entities, and vessels related to the shadow fleet.

The goal is to increase pressure on Moscow for violating international law.

With this latest move, Australia has now placed over 1,800 sanctions on Russia since the conflict began.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced the 34th round of sanctions for his country, which includes targeting 100 ships within Russia’s shadow fleet.

In addition to the sanctions, New Zealand is providing 8 million NZD in aid to Ukraine, citing the global impact of the war on stability and security.

The “shadow fleet” is a collection of older, often unmaintained oil tankers that Russia uses to transport oil while avoiding international regulations and sanctions. Because these ships are not part of the standard, regulated shipping industry, they are difficult for authorities to track or insure.

In short, both countries are trying to make it much harder for Russia to sell its oil and fund its war efforts by cutting off these secret shipping routes.