Dark, grey, cleared… The shades of the Russian shadow fleet show how far Russia is prepared to go to evade international sanctions. On 10th January, Russian oil tanker Eventin stranded in Baltic sea but has been finally secured by Germany. And, few weeks ago, Russian shadow fleet have been present in Sweden’s exclusive zone, near Gotland’s eastern coast. Micael Bydén, Sweden’s defense chief, said “Putin has both eyes on Sweden”.
Oil tanker Eventin, part of “Shadow fleet” stranded in Baltic sea
Germany has successfully secured the Russian oil tanker Eventin, which lost power on 10th January near the northern coast of Rügen island in the Baltic Sea.
The tanker, carrying nearly 100,000 tons of oil, suffered a power failure while en route from Russia to Egypt. Drifting perilously close to the coastline, the vessel prompted swift action from German authorities. In a high-stakes operation, three tugboats attempted to tow the tanker to safety despite facing stormy conditions, with waves reaching up to 2.5 meters and strong winds complicating their efforts.
As of now, the Eventin has been stabilized, with two tugboats holding it in position near the port of Sassnitz. Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has criticized Russia’s reliance on aging tankers like the Eventin, part of what she calls a “shadow fleet” employed to bypass international sanctions on Russian oil exports. Baerbock expressed concerns about these vessels, labeling them as “dilapidated” and warning of potential environmental disasters and disruptions to European tourism in the Baltic region.
Gotland Incident
Located in The Baltic Sea, Gotland is a Swedish territory. Large of 176km, this island is not known for particular resources but for its strategic position. As a matter of fact, Gotland is a key point for maritime routes but also to prevent attacks from Russia. In May, Russia already threatened Sweden to expand its border in The Baltic Sea. The decree, which has since been withdrawn, alarmed NATO allies.
Indeed, Russia needs to control the route to exporte its oil, which is under international sanctions. The presence of the shadow fleet near Gotland worry the Swedish government. Futhermore, the shadow fleet carries out dangerous manoeuvres such as ship-to-ship oil transfers. Additionally, Russia uses ageing vessels to conduct its dark and grey fleet, a looming threat to marine life. Among other thing, the Swedish governement fears an oil spill, while most of the Russian fleet won’t get any insurance coverage because of the European ban.
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The island has not been militarized since 2005, not until Russian shadow fleet appeared. In reaction, Sweden reintroduced permanent troops in 2016, and became membrer of NATO in March. By threatening Gotland’s security and invasion, Putin is also threatening NATO. On the other hand, Moscow accused the West of escalding and provocating tensions. Besides, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline passes near the island, was sabotaged in 2022, contributing to tensions in the Baltic Sea.
Espionage Activities of the “Shadow Fleet“
The Dark and the Grey fleets have also been observed by the Swedish Navy for disturbing behaviour. The Kremlin uses both civilian vessels and merchant vessels. Futhermore, for standard vessels, the Swedish Navy has noticed that thoses vessels feature communications equipment are far too evolved and unnecessary. Likewise, In the Norwegian waters, the Dark Fleet has already been seen with sophisticated equipment on a civilian ship, such as antennas. For the reccord, Russia has no right to use spy equipment on a civilian ship. For this reason, the Dark fleet earned the name of “Spy Fleet”. In April 2024, Swedish Navy has confirmed that the shadow fleet “may be engaged in espionage”. Navy chief, Eva Skoog Haslum suspected “hybrid operations”.
Flag Hoping Examples
The West’s ban has drastically changed Russia’s traditional oil transfer and customers. Since the start of the war in Ukraine the Dark Shadow Fleet increased by 111%, in order to assure oil transport. Russia desperately needs theses routes, including The Baltic Sea to reach its new customers and export above the price cap imposed by the West. Russia new top customers are, India, China, for crude oil and Turkey and Brazil for diesel. Whreas, since the war, no crude oil tanker has delivered to the European Union. Following the idea of circumventing the Western ban, Russia use “flag hopping” strategie as well. The flag distribution of the Black fleet augmented by 11,4% and the Grey one by 15,1%, making it difficult to identify the ship. The shadow fleet are mainly registered in Greece, China, and in Gabon. This obscure ownership operate outside the maritime law.
Therefore, EU could act and use the Baltic Sea Action Plan, that Russia has signed. This plan would allow an intervention in the event of a ship-to-ship transfer of oil.
