The 2025 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism goes to her investigation into Russia's "shadow fleet."

The European Parliament recognized “Follow the Money” for exposing the network of ships and intermediaries that circumvented Moscow’s oil sanctions.

An investigation that crossed borders, editorial offices and languages, shedding light the flaws of the international sanctions system against Russia and the responsibilities of European companies in indirectly supporting its war economy.
Il 2025 Daphne Caruana Galizia Journalism Prize, established by European Parliament, was assigned to “Follow the Money”, the platform for investigative journalism which, together with 13 European editorial teams, carried out the investigation on the so-called Russian “shadow fleet”.

An investigation that follows the routes of Russian oil

The investigation, the result of months of joint work between journalists of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, has documented how Western shipowners earned over $6 billion selling 230 obsolete oil tankers to companies connected to Russia.
The ships, ended up in a labyrinth of opaque properties and shell companies, continue to transport Russian oil today in violation of European sanctions, often without adequate insurance coverage and with mechanical high environmental risks.

Thanks to the combined use of traditional investigative journalism, data analysis, and satellite tracking, the Follow the Money team has reconstructed the routes, corporate transactions and economic intermediations that allowed the creation of this phantom fleet.
Through direct interviews with crew members, the reporters also reported the harsh working conditions On board: grueling shifts, lack of safety, and unpaid wages.

European Connections: The Silent Complicity

The investigation has brought to light a network of collaborators and intermediaries based in Europe which support the Russian shadow fleet in evading sanctions.
According to documents, eight European agencies e twenty based in Ukraine their core business is recruit crews for the oil tankers involved.
In all, sixty ships of the shadow fleet have been linked to companies registered in European Union countries, sign of one widespread complicity which allowed Russia to continue exporting hydrocarbons and finance the invasion of Ukraine.

The ceremony in Strasbourg

The award ceremony was held in Strasbourg, in the press room of the European Parliament dedicated precisely to Daphne Caruana Galicia, the Maltese journalist killed in 2017 for her anti-corruption investigations.

The event was attended by the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, Vice President Pina Picierno (prize manager) and members of the independent jury who selected the winner.
In his speech, Metsola underlined:

"The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize testifies to the inextricable link between a free press, democracy, and peace. At a time when authoritarian regimes seek to silence the truth and distort reality, Europe stands united in support of journalists who expose corruption and all those who refuse to be silenced."

Between May 21 and July 31, 2025, the award received 316 applications da journalists from the 27 countries of the European UnionTen finalist stories were selected before the jury made its final selection.

An award for freedom of the press

Il Daphne Caruana Galizia Award, of the value of 20.000 €, is an annual tribute to the memory of the Maltese journalist and a symbol of the European Union's commitment to freedom of the press, from the investigative journalism and democratic transparency.
The recognition is intended for journalists or editorial teams who have published, in one of the member countries, investigations of European relevance on issues of corruption, human rights and the rule of law.

In previous editions the prize was awarded to:

• 2021: the project Pegasus, coordinated by the consortium Forbidden Stories;
• 2022: the documentary Central African Republic under Russian influence (ARTE/France24/Le Monde);
• 2023: the investigation into the shipwreck of the Pylos (Solomon, Forensis, ARD and The Guardian);
• 2024: the investigation Lost in Europe on missing foreign minors.

Daphne Caruana Galizia, the symbol of free journalism

Daphne Caruana Galicia She was one of the most courageous voices in European journalism. A Maltese blogger and investigative reporter, she revealed corruption, money laundering and organised crime scandals linked to the political leaders of Malta and to the Panama Papers.
On October 16, 2017, she was assassinated by a car bomb in front of her home. Her death shocked Europe and sparked protests that led to the resignation of Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

The award that bears his name is not only a journalistic recognition, but a moral commitment: defend freedom of information and support those who, like you, have paid with their lives in the search for the truth.