here is how Russia circumvents European sanctions – La Nouvelle Tribune

Faced with European sanctions targeting its oil exports, the Russia has developed sophisticated mechanisms to maintain its international deliveries, notably via Greece. A key strategy is to use ship-to-ship transfers (STS), intended to obscure the origin of Russian oil. These operations, which took place mainly in the Laconic Gulfwere moved after recent Greek naval exercises.

According to data from Vortexa, nearly a million barrels of petroleum products (diesel, oil) were transferred each month to this region before these military maneuvers. Now, these activities are concentrated near the islands of Lesvos and Chios, in the Aegean Sea, where they continue despite increased surveillance.

This tactic illustrates the continuing challenges to enforcing international sanctions. At the same time, similar sites off the coast Malaysia facilitate massive transfers of Iranian oil to the Chine, violating other Western sanctions and fueling Chinese energy demand.

The redirection of Russian flows towards strategic areas highlights the evolution of global oil routes in the face of geopolitical and economic pressure, while raising questions about the effectiveness of Western sanctions.