12 European countries agree on strengthened measures against Russian "shadow fleet"

Oleh Pavliuk, Tetyana Oliynyk — Monday, 16 December 2024, 23:00

A group of 12 Nordic-Baltic Eight Plus (NB8+) member states has decided to increase surveillance of ships that may be part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet.

Source: joint statement of NB8+, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The NB8+ states located near the Baltic and North Seas will now require proof of insurance for suspicious vessels passing through the English Channel, Danish straits, strait between Denmark and Sweden, and the Gulf of Finland.

Quote: "Information collected by the state parties, in particular with respect to those vessels that have chosen not to respond to requests, will be assessed and analysed jointly with our international partners," the statement said.

The states emphasised their determination to hold the shadow fleet accountable, including through sanctions, for its support of Russia's conflict against Ukraine.

The NB8+ format includes the Baltic States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Poland, Finland, and Sweden.

Russia has assembled a "shadow fleet" of over 600 tankers, the owners of which are frequently masked behind shell firms, and utilised it to circumvent the G7 price ceiling of US$60 per barrel. Iran and Venezuela also employ this strategy for similar reasons.

These vessels are not only noisy and mostly unregulated, but they are frequently uninsured. In the case of a leak or a larger catastrophe, governments will find it difficult to hold these vessels accountable.

Background:

On 16 December, the Council of the European Union adopted the 15th package of economic and individual restrictive measures, which included North Korean officials and Chinese suppliers of drone kits.
The sanctions package includes 54 individuals and 30 organisations. The EU said that these measures are designed to counteract the circumvention of EU sanctions by targeting Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's shadow fleet and to weaken the Russian defence industrial base.

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