EU is preparing a new plan for Russia's “shadow fleet”: the OP commented

EU countries are holding confidential discussions on the seizure of Russian oil tankers of the "shadow fleet" operating in the Baltic Sea, Politico reports, citing two EU diplomats and two government officials, UNN writes.

Details

"European countries are conducting behind-the-scenes talks on large-scale seizures of Moscow's oil export tankers in the Baltic Sea," the newspaper writes, citing sources.

In parallel, as indicated, new legislation is being developed to provide legal support for such measures.

Among the proposals under consideration is the use of international law to seize ships for environmental or piracy concerns, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. If those efforts fail, individual countries could act independently by introducing new national laws to seize ships at sea further from shore.

"About 50 percent of the sanctioned trade [of Russian oil supplied by sea] goes through the Gulf of Finland," said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tahkna. - "There are environmental threats, there are attacks that we have experienced against our underwater infrastructure.

"Now the question is... what can we do with these ships?" he said. - "We can't block the whole sea, but we can control more... There are many possibilities.

"We are witnessing the fact that... there are some ways out" in Western sanctions against Russia, said Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas. "Therefore, counteracting the shadow fleet would really help to achieve the results that we are not able to achieve because of the sanctions regime," he said.

In addition to the EU's efforts to blacklist 74 shadow fleet tankers, Nordic and Baltic countries are looking for ways to legally seize more Russian-linked vessels, according to officials and diplomats.

The proposals reportedly fall into three categories:

• Threats to the environment. Many of these older vessels pose significant risks, including oil spills. Authorities can use environmental legislation to detain them.
• Piracy laws. Ships involved in damage to critical underwater infrastructure, such as severing power or internet cables, may be seized.
• National legislation - countries can mandate the use of approved insurers for tankers operating in the Baltic, allowing for the detention of vessels that rely on less reliable firms.

Officials emphasize that these measures will require coordination at the EU level.

While it would be "impossible" to stop every tanker in the shadow fleet with these measures, one government official said it was "not necessary.

"Even if we can just slow down [the ships], it will hurt Russia," the official argued. - "Every day is precious - if you combine that with the state of the Russian economy... everything matters.

Addendum

In 2022, the EU banned imports of Russian oil and, together with the G7, set price caps on crude oil exports from Russia to limit the Kremlin's revenues after its invasion of Ukraine.

But Russia has adapted quickly. Relying on dubious insurers, its "shadow fleet" now accounts for about 17 percent of the world's oil tankers, the newspaper writes.

As a result, "the shadow fleet now transports more than 80 percent of all Russian crude oil," said Isaac Levy, head of the Russian-European think tank Center for Energy and Clean Air Studies.

Levy emphasized that last year alone, 348 shadow fleet vessels, responsible for 40 percent of Russia's total oil exports, departed from Baltic ports, equivalent to one-third of Moscow's annual defense budget.

"By not attacking the shadow fleet, [Western allies] are creating a major source of income for Russia," he said, which "generates the incredibly high and growing military costs of the war in Ukraine.

However, the new plans are said to be "not easy to implement". Maritime law experts warn of possible legal retaliation from Russia, high financial costs and complex logistics. There is also the need to navigate complex global shipping regulations.

Nevertheless, officials are moving forward, and the three Baltic states are openly discussing legal measures they can take together and in partnership with Brussels.

"We have to coordinate, we have to agree on how we implement these conventions," Tsakhkna said.

Ukraine's reaction

The publication has already been commented on by the Office of the President of Ukraine.

"This is very important now, because every day of disrupted logistics seriously affects Russia's ability to finance the war," Andriy Yermak, head of the OP, wrote on Telegram.