Old russian tankers pose an environmental threat in the Gulf of Finland

The expansion of russia’s outdated tanker fleet in the Gulf of Finland increases the risks of accidents and oil spills.

As a result of sanctions, russia redirected oil exports to Asian countries. Most of the tankers are used on routes between China and India. Instead, only old ships that should have ended up in a landfill are moving through the Baltic Sea. Often such watercraft are not even insured. In the event of a collision or oil spill, there may not be enough resources for rescue operations, The Washington Post  reports .

The Finnish government is already ready for an emergency response to an oil spill. Even a small spill would have devastating effects in the Gulf of Finland, whose shallow depth and winding coastline will make cleanup extremely difficult.

Aging tankers in the Gulf of Finland are part of a wider problem. Russian federation uses shell companies in the Middle East or Asia. Such firms help Russia circumvent sanctions, but they often have no previous shipping experience.

“When we see new vessels that haven’t worked here before, we don’t know if the crew is competent in ice navigation skills. The potential risks are there, and they are higher than before,” the Finnish Coast Guard commented.

For example, the SUN Ship Management company was recently sanctioned by the EU. The company turned out to be a branch of Sovcomflot and is the formal owner of Russia’s “shadow” fleet.