Action Against Russia's Shadow Tanker Fleet

By Andrius Sytas
TALLINN (Reuters) – Vessels of Russia's so-called shadow tanker fleet will be boarded or put on a sanctions list if they do not provide proof of insurance, Estonia's prime minister stated on Tuesday.

The term shadow fleet refers to vessels utilized by Russia to transport oil, arms, and grains, violating international sanctions imposed due to the Ukraine war. These vessels are not regulated or insured by conventional Western providers.

A dozen Western countries, including Britain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, five Nordic nations, and the three Baltic states, agreed on Monday to "disrupt and deter" Russia's shadow fleet.

Six of these nations—Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland, and Estonia—will begin verifying insurance documents for vessels in the Channel, Danish straits, Gulf of Finland, and the strait between Sweden and Denmark.

"If the ships do not cooperate, next steps will be taken: they will be put on a prohibition list, or they will be boarded in certain areas," announced Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal during a press briefing in Tallinn.

Michal emphasized the need to systematically disrupt Russia's shadow fleet during the conclusion of a two-day meeting with leaders of the military Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which comprises most of the twelve countries involved.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised this initiative, stating, "Aside from generating enormous profits for Russia's war machine and funding war crimes against Ukrainians, these ageing oil tankers present a serious environmental threat to the Baltic and Northern Seas' coastal states," he mentioned on X.

Russia has dismissed Western pressure to limit its oil exports, and over the past year, the number of tankers transporting non-regulated and non-insured cargoes has increased.

Sanctions and Inspections

On Tuesday, Britain sanctioned 20 ships, prohibiting their entry to several ports due to illicit practices aimed at evading sanctions. The EU has also sanctioned 52 new vessels from the shadow fleet, increasing the total to 79.

The leaders meeting in Tallinn acknowledged the limitations of their actions against the shadow fleet, recognizing that international law provides significant freedom for ships to navigate unimpeded in international waters.

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere mentioned that coastal states could invoke "the right of suspicion" to justify boarding and inspecting suspicious vessels.

"There are rules to be followed, but I believe we need to cooperate to strengthen regulations to limit and restrict this very dangerous phenomenon," he stated during a press conference.

Recently, two shadow fleet vessels experienced significant incidents; one broke in half while another ran aground during a storm in the Black Sea, leading to an oil spill. Notably, both tankers were over 50 years old.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson remarked, "We are firmly behind the international order of freedom of navigation, thus adhering to certain limitations. However, we must also set limits on what we can accept from Russia. The steps we are taking right now are necessary."