Ukraine welcomes the 15th package of EU sanctions against Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, noting that continued pressure is crucial to prevent Russia from adapting or exploiting loopholes to finance its war crimes.

"I welcome the decision to target Putin's shadow fleet of oil tankers, which supports Russia's energy sector, transports military equipment, and carries stolen Ukrainian grain. Sanctions on 52 additional vessels bring the total to 79," Zelenskyy said on X social media.

He also said Russia's war machine runs on oil. "Without multi-billion-dollar oil revenues, Putin would not have been able to reject real negotiations or ruin international peace and security for so many years," the president said.

"Cutting these revenues is more than an economic measure; it is a moral imperative. Every dollar earned by Russia through oil and other export operations fuels destruction and destabilization. These billions of dollars result in burned Ukrainian cities, the decades of rule by oppressive regimes such as Assad's in Syria, and the spread of instability across Africa," Zelenskyy said.