Reliance on Russia’s military offerings has become increasingly prevalent in parts of Africa, amid an aggressive push by Moscow to lessen Western influence on the continent.

The name is brilliant: ‘vintage tonnage’. It evokes 17th-century pirate vessels flying the skull-and-crossbones, 18th-century ships-of-the-line bristling with cannons, or even 19th-century clipper ships in full sail bringing tea to England and America.

Ukraine welcomes Trump’s threat to sanction Russian oil and gas even harder - US president says no desire to hurt Russia but asks Mr Putin to ‘settle now and stop this ridiculous war’

The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo on the Gulf of Finland, Dec. 30, 2024.

But Western governments and sanctions experts say Moscow has resorted to using a so-called shadow ... and flagged in places like Gabon or the Cook Islands. Some of the vessels are owned by the Russian state Sovcomflot shipping company.

President Joe Biden's administration announced Friday that it's expanding sanctions against Russia's critically important energy sector, unveiling a new effort to inflict pain on Moscow for its grinding war in Ukraine as President-elect Donald Trump gets set to return to office vowing to quickly end the conflict.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration announced Friday that it’s expanding sanctions against Russia’s critically important energy sector, unveiling a new effort to inflict pain on Moscow for its ...

It evokes 17th-century pirate vessels flying the skull-and-crossbones, 18th century ships-of-the-line bristling with cannons, or even 19th-century clipper ships in full sail bringing tea to England and America.

India News Live Updates: Jalgaon train accident death toll updated to 12 following DNA analysis

At the expense of Moscow’s protective CIS umbrella ... Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon. Back in 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron had blamed Turkiye for turning African public opinion against Paris by playing on “post-colonial resentment”.

FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of a news conference following their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, on ...

Moscow says it has annexed Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and sees taking control of Pokrovsk as an important stepping stone to incorporating the entire region into Russia. Kyiv and the West ...