An investigation involving 13 newsrooms and 40 journalists has revealed how Western shipowners are helping Russia bypass sanctions through a complex maritime trade network. The report exposes billions in illicit oil trade profits and ecological risks, and has won the 2025 Journalism award.
By Creatives Unite Newsroom
The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism has been awarded to an investigation revealing how Western shipowners are facilitating Russia's evasion of sanctions through its oil trade.
The winning investigation, led by “Follow the Money” and involving 13 newsrooms and 40 journalists across Europe, exposed a complex network of tanker sales that has generated over $6 billion for Western shipping companies.
Journalists uncovered that 230 ageing tankers have been sold to Russia's “shadow fleet,” operating under opaque ownership structures that often lack proper environmental insurance. The investigation identified eight shadow fleet crewing agencies operating within European borders, as well as crew members on sixty vessels linked to companies in European nations. It also revealed significant ecological and human rights risks in the maritime trade.
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, emphasised the critical role of investigative journalism during the award ceremony in Strasbourg.
The publishing partners for this investigation were Follow the Money (the Netherlands), De Tijd (Belgium), Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), WDR (Germany), NDR (Germany), The Times (UK), SourceMaterial (UK), IRPIMedia (Italy), OCCRP, NRK (Norway), Danwatch (Denmark), Solomon (Greece), Inside Story (Greece), Dialogue Earth.
“At a time when authoritarian regimes try to silence the truth, Europe stands united behind journalists exposing corruption,” Metsola stated.
The €20,000 award honours Daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese journalist assassinated in 2017, and recognises journalism that promotes European values of democracy, human rights, and transparency. This year's prize was selected from 316 submissions across the 27 EU member states, with ten stories initially shortlisted.
Image Credit: The European Parliament
