In the Baltic Sea, a Russian warship protected a shadow fleet tanker from Ukrainian activists

During the Greenpeace action in the Baltic Sea, a Russian warship accompanied the Kira K tanker of the shadow fleet, which was transporting Russian oil.

This was reported by Ukrainian environmental activist Natalia Gozak, who participated in the action.

According to her, Greenpeace Ukraine activists, together with Greenpeace representatives, politicians from Germany, Denmark and Sweden, as well as journalists, set off on inflatable boats from the German island of Ferman to meet the Kira K tanker.

According to Gozak, the ship, which was transporting Russian oil, was heading through the German exclusive economic zone under the flag of Panama after leaving the port of Ust-Luga. The ship was probably heading to the ports of Egypt. She noted that the tanker is already under sanctions from a number of countries.

While documenting the tanker’s movement to the area of ​​the action, according to the activist, a Russian warship approached the area of ​​the action with its transponder turned off. Later, the German coast guard transmitted a message to the participants of the action with a demand, voiced by the Russian military, to “move away from the tanker.”

Gozak also said that during the radio exchange, when the German coast guard asked about the purpose of the Russian warship’s presence, the ship replied that it was acting “according to a special plan.”

After the action, the activists were escorted to the port by a coast guard boat and a helicopter, and were met on the shore by police to check their documents.

Commenting on the incident, Natalia Gozak said that she witnessed Russia using its military fleet to protect shadow fleet tankers. In her opinion, the countries of the Baltic region should be more active in checking such vessels in order to limit Russia’s income from oil exports and reduce the risks of environmental disasters due to possible oil spills.

USM previously reported that Sweden is arming coast guard vessels with machine guns due to threats from the Russian “shadow fleet.”