Denmark to Tighten Inspections of Russian Shadow Fleet Oil Tankers
Denmark plans to tighten control over ships transporting Russian oil to ensure maritime safety and environmental protection, Bloomberg reports.
The Danish Maritime Administration will start inspecting ships anchored off Skagen. This will apply to ships that, in the opinion of the authorities, ‘cannot be considered as being on a peaceful voyage’.
This initiative is a response to the growing number of older tankers transporting oil through Danish territorial waters. Previously, such inspections were carried out only when the vessel entered the port, which tankers of Russia's ‘shadow fleet’ usually avoided.
This decision marks a change in Denmark's policy, which had previously stated that it would not block Russian vessels passing through its waters, relying on the 1857 treaty on the free transit of ships through the Danish Straits.
In addition, at the end of last year, the UK began checking ships in the English Channel for insurance accreditation. Concerns about the activities of the ‘shadow fleet’ in the Baltic Sea have increased after ships damaged underwater communications.
The Danish Straits remain a key route for the transport of Russian oil, which has been passing through this route almost unimpeded since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Many tankers remain anchored off Skagen for weeks or even months.
Denmark is negotiating with European partners on measures to counter the ‘shadow fleet’. In December, the authorities agreed to introduce insurance policy checks for ships passing through its waters and do not rule out further steps against tankers without proper insurance coverage.
At the same time, Copenhagen stresses that the problem needs to be addressed jointly at the international level, and all new measures must comply with international law.
Earlier, the EU expressed concern about environmental risks in the Mediterranean caused by attempts by tankers carrying Russian oil to circumvent sanctions.