Russian tankers more frequently ignore safety in Danish straits, increasing oil spill risk

Tankers from Russia's shadow fleet, which transport oil through the treacherous straits of Denmark, are increasingly refusing pilot services, raising the risk of an oil spill along the country's coast.

Source: Bloomberg 

Details: In the three months leading up to July, 20% of tankers from the so-called shadow fleet transporting Russian oil through the Danish straits refused the assistance of local experts, data collected by Bloomberg and Danwatch shows. This figure has risen from 4% the previous year.

The straits, which are crossed daily by ferries and other maritime traffic, can be challenging to navigate due to numerous shoals, strong currents, and varying water depths. The use of pilots is recommended by the International Maritime Organisation and has been standard practice for decades, helping to prevent major oil spills during this time.

However, due to Western sanctions limiting Moscow's access to the global tanker fleet, Russia is increasingly relying on older vessels that are poorly maintained, have unknown owners, and have dubious insurance. These ships, which now make up the majority of Russian oil transport, are predominantly refusing pilot assistance.

Since the beginning of 2023, nearly 1,200 tankers carrying Russian oil have left the Baltic Sea, with the share of shadow fleet vessels in this traffic steadily increasing. In the three months leading up to the end of July, six out of ten shipments were carried out by shadow fleet tankers, up from four out of ten in the first quarter of 2023.

One in five of these vessels refused Danish pilot services between May and July. A year earlier, the refusal rate was only one in twenty, according to data obtained by Danwatch through a public information request.

If Copenhagen attempts to make pilotage mandatory, it could escalate tensions with the Kremlin and disrupt a crucial source of global oil supply.

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