Russians enlist military to protect ‘shadow’ tankers in the Baltic
16.12.2025 - 14:22
Russia is conducting a military operation in the Baltic Sea to cover up the so-called shadow tanker fleet.
Russia has deployed military personnel aboard the “shadow fleet” vessels and the Baltic Fleet’s permanent presence in special zones along key routes, Gospodarka Morska reports, citing the Swedish Navy.
The Finnish broadcaster Yle and the Danish investigative website Danwatch previously reported on the presence of uniformed military personnel on tankers carrying Russian oil. They cited accounts from maritime pilots who navigate vessels through the narrow and shallow Danish Straits.
In early December, the Swedish Coast Guard estimated the size of the Russian “shadow fleet” at 500–1,000 vessels, of which more than 300 fly foreign flags. Control is hampered by the lack of proper supervision of registries and the use of “online” documents of dubious quality.
Despite increased checks in the region, 20% of crews have not provided the requested documents. Coastguards emphasize that the lack of clear international rules in this area hinders law enforcement and creates additional risks to the safety of shipping in the Baltic Sea.
Recently, USM reported that the EU plans to revise maritime law to counter the Russian “shadow fleet”.
