EU may start detaining tankers with Russian oil in the Baltic Sea

EU considers impounding Russian oil tankers in Baltic Sea amid rising incidents with undersea cables.

European Union countries are pushing for new powers to clamp down on Russia’s “shadow fleet” after a series of incidents in the Baltic Sea, Politico reports.

European countries are currently in behind-the-scenes talks about large-scale impoundments of tankers carrying Russian oil in the Baltic Sea, according to two EU diplomats and two government officials. New legislation is being drafted to give the effort legal weight.

Proposals being considered include using international environmental law and anti-piracy measures to impound ships. If that fails, countries could jointly enact new national laws to give them the power to impound more ships at sea.

“About 50% of the sanctioned trade (of Russian offshore oil, USM) passes through the Gulf of Finland,” said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna. “There are environmental threats, there are attacks that we have experienced against our underwater infrastructure.”

According to experts and maritime lawyers, among the difficulties in implementing the new rules are the legal response from Russia, significant financial costs and complex logistics. It will also require navigating the tangled international shipping laws.

USM previously reported that Lithuania needs more than 30 million euros to protect its submarine cables.