Germany has stepped up inspections of tankers to combat the shadow fleet

Germany has stepped up inspections of tankers passing through its territorial waters to counter Russia’s “shadow fleet.”

Germany has stepped up inspections of ships as of July 1, the German Foreign Ministry said.

From now on, tankers passing through German territorial waters will be asked about their insurance coverage for oil pollution damage. The insurance coverage of these ships is often unknown, as they avoid reputable insurance companies and European ports.

“We must increase our vigilance in the Baltic Sea regarding the shadow fleet. By asking about the insurance status, we are adding another element to our situational awareness. The more complete the picture, the faster we can take action, including placing the ships on the sanctions list, together with our partner countries in the Baltic Sea region,” commented Transport Minister Patrick Schneider.

If violations are detected, the vessel may be placed under enhanced surveillance in Europe or added to the sanctions list.

Earlier, USM reported that the new EU sanctions package will include captains of Russia’s “shadow fleet”. This was announced by the Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy of Ukraine Vladyslav Vlasyuk.