Twelve Nordic Countries Agree to Jointly Counter Russia's Shadow Fleet

Twelve Nordic countries have agreed to take additional measures to crack down on Russia's shadow fleet, which transports oil and oil products to circumvent restrictions imposed by Western countries. This was reported by the Estonian government on its website.

According to the Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal, the Russian shadow fleet poses a threat to the security, economy and environment of European countries, so decisive measures are needed to prevent its operation.

‘Russia uses its shadow fleet to circumvent sanctions and reduce their impact. Twelve countries have agreed to disrupt and deter Russia's shadow fleet to prevent illegal operations and increase Russia's costs of war against Ukraine,’ the statement said.

The six countries - the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland and Estonia - will instruct their maritime authorities to require insurance documents from suspicious vessels passing through the English Channel, the Danish Straits and the Gulf of Finland.

The information collected, as well as information about vessels that refuse to provide information, will be analysed and used to make certain decisions. It is noted that suspicious vessels will not be stopped, but only requested to provide information.

This decision was also supported by Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Norway, but it has not been clarified whether these countries will participate in the inspections.

The vessels of the Russian shadow fleet are usually not insured by maritime insurance companies, but rather seek insurance services from Russian companies or little-known firms from countries such as Cameroon and Kyrgyzstan.

The report was published on the same day that EU foreign ministers approved the 15th package of sanctions against Russia. It includes sanctions against more than 50 vessels of the Russian shadow fleet.