Europe urged to tackle Russia's shadow fleet in Baltic standoff
The "shadow fleet" transports about 60% of exported Russian oil, and the European Union can do much to counteract this, said Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur. He added that at a meeting with EU ministers, he will present details of an incident that recently occurred in the Baltic Sea.
The minister, who flew in for talks with his counterparts from the EU, recalled an incident in the Gulf of Finland. The Estonian Navy stopped the tanker Jaguar in their waters, which is part of Russia's "shadow fleet." The Estonians directed it to Russian territorial waters, and in response, Russia sent a fighter jet that violated NATO airspace.
The Russian military has clearly shown for the first time that it stands behind the "shadow fleet" and has begun to escort one of its tankers with military assets. Russia is increasing its military presence in the Baltic Sea, in the Gulf of Finland, and we definitely need to discuss how we can respond by sanctioning the "shadow fleet," said Pevkur.
He added that the "shadow fleet" transports about 60% of Russian oil, and the European Union can do much to counteract this. In his opinion, the EU's next sanctions on Russia should target these ships, as it will have a significant impact on Russia's economy.
— We know that the Ukrainians have mapped about 500 ships of the "shadow fleet." We do not yet have this number on our sanctions list — he added.
"Russia does not want to end this war"
The minister also referred to a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
— We see that Russia really does not want to end this war. They are pursuing their goal of gaining at least four regions of Ukraine, and they will not stop — he said. In his opinion, evidence of this is Russia's attack on Ukraine using over 200 drones which occurred just before the phone call.
The "shadow fleet" is a term used for old, worn-out ships, mostly uninsured and sailing under various flags, which Russia unofficially uses to transport its oil to avoid Western sanctions. The ships pose a serious threat to the waters of EU states because, in the event of an oil spill, no one takes responsibility. The West is gradually imposing sanctions on these vessels.
