Ukraine Unlocked is a weekly newsletter providing a roundup of the cultural, political, and economic developments in the country. We hope to provide students, professionals, and the casual reader with greater insight into Ukraine as its role on the global stage evolves throughout the 21st century.

• Not Quick Enough: Ukraine’s allies are disappointed with the pace of the counteroffensive this summer. Three officials spoke with CNN saying that the offensive has “not met expectations” thus far. Even Zelenskyy admitted progress had been “slower than desired.” But Ukraine has pushed back against this criticism, saying that people outside of the country do not fully comprehend the difficulty of the situation. Ukraine will likely use this criticism to fuel its demands for more weaponry as the counteroffensive drags on further into the summer. With the recent internal drama in Russia, Ukraine may use this opportunity to try and push further into occupied territories. While the West is disappointed with how the counteroffensive has started, confidence levels remain high that Ukraine will eventually break through. 
• Recovery Conference Nets Large Help: During a two-day conference in London, Ukraine secured $66 billion for the rebuilding efforts that will follow the end of the war. British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said that nearly 500 companies had also committed to being part of the effort to rebuild Ukraine. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who attended the conference, said that his country would not wait for the war to end to start the rebuilding process. He also highlighted that the first priority would be to rebuild Ukraine’s energy sector.

Spoofing the System

• Dark Fleets: Back in February, an oil tanker’s transmitter showed it sailing in circles in the Sea of Japan. The odd movements prompted an investigation by The New York Times, which revealed at least six oil tankers using fake transmission signals to hide the fact they were transferring oil from Russia to China. 
  • Motives for Deception: The tankers are owned by shell companies that can be traced back to Chinese businessmen. However, many tankers across the globe are insured by Western companies due to the significant financial risk. These insurance companies are bound by Western sections and cannot insure tankers that transport Russian oil. The six ships in the investigation are all insured by American Club, a U.S.-based company. Therefore, the ships use sophisticated transmitters to hide their true routes and maintain their coverage, which is required to operate in major ports. 
  • Money and Punishment: The ships have been hauling about $1 billion in oil while using Western insurance coverage. The U.S. enacted protections for insurance companies that unknowingly cover ships that violate Western sanctions. A spokesman for the company did not comment on investigations into the ships because of privacy laws. As of May 30th, the ships were still listed on American Club’s website. The spoofing is not limited to Russia, as the same practices are likely used to transport oil from sanction-ridden countries such as Venezuela and Iran and reveal a deeper systemic issue.