Sweden Detains Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker in Baltic Sea
3.04.2026 - 12:01
On Friday, April 3, the Swedish Coast Guard detained a sanctioned tanker suspected of causing an oil spill in the Baltic Sea.
The detained tanker Flora 1 is suspected of causing an oil spill in the Baltic Sea east of the island of Gotland, the Swedish Coast Guard said in an official statement.
On April 2, a coast guard aircraft spotted an oil spill. At that time, the spill spread over 12 kilometers. The Flora 1 tanker was then identified as a vessel of interest for investigation.
The prosecutor’s office later announced that it was conducting a preliminary investigation into alleged environmental crimes.
“In connection with this detection, it was established that the vessel is on the EU sanctions list and that there are a number of unclear circumstances surrounding it, in particular regarding the status of its flag,” the statement said.
It is known that the ship was heading from a port in the Gulf of Finland with an unknown destination.
The country’s coast guard brought the ship, which has 24 people on board, to a berth near the city of Ystad. The operation was carried out in cooperation with the police.
According to the Defense Intelligence of the Mod War&Sanctions portal, the tanker is affiliated with the Indian company Gatik Ship Management – one of the leading operators of the so-called “shadow fleet” involved in the transportation of Russian crude oil under Western sanctions.
In particular, the ship is subject to sanctions by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the EU Switzerland, New Zealand, and Ukraine.
