Red Flags: Russian Oil Tradecraft in the Mediterranean Sea

The war in Ukraine and resulting international sanctions affected Russia sufficiently that it had to change its primary economic policies. The Russian economy transitioned from a peacetime to a wartime economy, and, as a result, Russia’s third quarter 2023 had a 5.5 percent gross domestic product (GDP) increase. An important component of this economic rebound is oil and gas revenues. Sanction loopholes, coupled with Russian resourcefulness, have helped the nation circumvent international law and maintain economic growth. Russia has continued to export oil with minimal hindrance, and that income is being funneled into the military-industrial complex to pay for the conflict in Ukraine.