Germany, Sweden Join Denmark in Cracking Down on Russian Shadow Fleet

The coastal Baltic countries intensify their legal enforcement measures to increase pressure on the continued use of Russia for the so -called shadow fleet of tankers to circumvent Western sanctions and finance their war on Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Sweden and Germany joined Denmark as coastal countries that will ask for insurance papers from tankers roaming in their waters or heading to the Danish Danish Strait, a major trick point for crude oil exports and oil products in Russia.

The coastal Baltic countries intensify their legal enforcement measures to increase pressure on the continued use of Russia for the so -called shadow fleet of tankers to circumvent Western sanctions and finance their war on Ukraine.

Tuesday, Sweden and Germany join Denmark as coastal countries will work Insurance request The papers are tankers roaming in their waters or heading to the vital Danish strait, which is the main ChokePoint point for Russia’s exports of crude oil and oil products.

Although it seems to be a bureaucratic and paper scale of paper, the lack of appropriate insurance (basis to pay the costs of any oil spills) is the biggest fear of the Baltic countries from the fleet of the elderly and organized Russia and a good indication of the evil activity. The idea is that ships without appropriate insurance – the European Union Only prohibited A large Russian insurance company said it was providing a doubtful cover in the shadow fleet in Moscow – it would add to the list of ships inserted into the blacklist by the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union. This aims to increase the restriction of Russia’s ability to avoid Western sanctions on the energy sector and continue to finance the war.

Christina Sig said, Professor of Maritime law at the University of South Denmark.

Since the invasion of Russia From Ukraine in early 2022, Western countries have taken slowly and often steps to target the growing energy sector in Russia, which represents the largest part of the government’s revenues in the country. The main part of this was the maximum prices on Russian oil exports that would limit the Kremlin income while preserving global oil markets. To evade sanctions, Russia Began Shipping oil on illegal ships, unregistered, and often very old with dribbling and doubtful insurance that avoids using them frequently Specialized navigators Introduction from Denmark to transfer narrow and dangerous coastal paths safely. By late last year, the shadow fleet has become this main channel for crude oil exports in Russia to countries such as China and India.

In seizures and start, but in particular this year, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union have Take the target In the specified ships on which Russia relies on its shadow fleet. With the latest penal package in the European Union – 17 since then 2022 The Brussels alone made more than 340 ships; The eighth packet will put the proposed number above 400 More than 10 percent From the global carrier fleet now on the global monitoring list.

The result was encouraging: Russia’s revenues From fossil fuel decreased in May (the last month with full numbers available) to the lowest levels since the war began. Moreover, more than half of Russian oil exports were implemented in May in vector compatible with Western requirements, and therefore theoretically to the maximum of $ 60 on Russian oil sales; About 46 percent has been transferred to only a shadow fleet tankers, which is a significant decrease from the beginning of the year. (The efforts made to tighten this maximum to $ 45 a barrel I stumbled Last month at the G-7 summit in Canada on American objections.)

Part of this shift to regular carriers occurs because Russian oil is very cheap in any case so that the maximum high prices are still not available, as Russian ore ore sells at less than $ 60 a barrel. But part of it is a reflection of the ongoing efforts in the black list of alternative Russia.

The problem, from the point of view Among the Baltic countries such as Denmark and Sweden, is that the tankers that continue to engage in risky trade are increasingly, in general, the least reliable and more fears of catastrophic oil spill that would greatly affect many countries in the region.

“It is a self -created monster,” said Sig. “This trade will now resume less and less for ship owners who spend on risk, so it will attract those who do not seek risk. In a very polluted trade, this is not what you want-you want” I wear a belt and A type of people. “

That is why countries such as Sweden and Germany, such as Denmark, take small steps towards a more aggressive interpretation of their marine rights, which are steps that appear Just a year ago To be a lawful risk, through intervention, no matter how slight, with the passage of unrestricted and innocent ships across international waters.

Russia is expected Calls New insurance requirements “piracy”, although they are not. But Moscow has a point that coastal countries begin to question innocent traffic while being in danger to peace, a slippery slope that can undermine the global bases of waterways.

“It is not” piracy “, but this does not mean that there are no limits, and we have to make sure that we do not go beyond it.

The entire case is appealed by Russia’s suspected use of the shadow fleet tankers to implement Vandalism activities In the Baltic, including cutting cables under the sea. (It appears that the alleged Russian activity, after years of mobility signals in GPS efforts For jam and spoo Radar It is used for marine navigation, although this seems to be a beach -based effort instead of the actions made by the shadow fleet) The United Nations Convention on the Law of the SeaOn preventing oil pollution they depend on to take action against those ships.

However, after more than three years of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the latest papers battles are a sign that European countries are increasingly ascending, even in small ways, to fill the gap left by the Trump administration to reject to Increase penalties Pressure on Russia or to Extend He promised military assistance to Ukraine.

The trick is to do this without the bombing of the entire legal architecture on which Europe depends, especially the smaller countries around the Baltic, on peaceful trade and conflict resolution.