In a June 26 letter to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Ukraine argued that it could legally attack Russian shadow fleet vessels, contending tankers transporting Russian oil and gas should be treated as ordinary commercial ships, given their role in generating revenue for Russia's war effort, the Financial Times reported June 30. The letter responded to Russia's accusation that Ukraine committed terrorism over the March attack on the Russian-flagged LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean.

Moscow is using IMO maritime safety norms to delegitimize Ukrainian strikes. Russia remains an IMO member but no longer holds a seat on the IMO Council, which limits its formal role in the executive body while still allowing it to lobby through the broader membership and committees.