Sweden seizes sanctioned tanker linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet”
4.05.2026 - 09:50
The detained vessel is listed by the European Union and the United Kingdom.
The Swedish Coast Guard has detained the tanker Jin Hui in the territorial waters of the Baltic Sea, which is associated with the so-called Russian shadow fleet. This was announced by the Minister of Civil Defense of Sweden, Karl-Oskar Bolin.
The vessel under the Syrian flag was stopped south of Trelleborg. Law enforcement agencies also joined the operation and boarded it. According to the Coast Guard, a preliminary investigation has been launched into the unseaworthiness of the vessel.
“The Coast Guard suspects that the vessel is sailing under a false flag… it does not meet the requirements for seaworthiness,” the statement said.
It is noted that the tanker did not have a clear destination and was probably not carrying cargo. At the same time, it appears on several sanctions lists at once, including the EU and the United Kingdom.
According to Swedish authorities, since the beginning of the year, the country has already detained five vessels on suspicion of violations, including oil spills and the use of foreign flags.
Also, the day before, Ukrainian drones attacked two vessels of the “shadow fleet” near Novorossiysk.
