Russia's 'shadow fleet' expansion risks environmental disaster
The Russian "shadow fleet," used by Moscow to circumvent sanctions by exporting raw materials, is now transporting nearly 70% more oil than the previous year, heightening ecological risk, reports the Financial Times, citing data from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE).
Worn-out, aging, and underinsured tankers used by Russia transported 2.4 million barrels of oil daily in June 2023. Meanwhile, by June 2024, this figure rose to 4.1 million barrels, according to KSE analyses.
Sanctions for companies linked to the "shadow fleet"
The United States, Canada, Japan, and European allies are increasingly sanctioning insurers and ship owners to limit Moscow's ability to finance the war in Ukraine, reminds the British newspaper.
Sanctions have also targeted companies and individual ships linked to the Russian "shadow fleet." According to Benjamin Hilgenstock, a co-author of the KSE report, the sanctions have not been widely implemented against these entities. "Sanctions on the tankers (...) should be applied 'systematically' to enforce the requirement for proper oil spill insurance," he emphasized.
European waters in the spotlight
Ships from this fleet often operate in crowded European waters, such as the Baltic Sea, Danish Straits, and the Strait of Gibraltar, which raises the risk of ecological disasters for the EU and neighbouring countries.
The KSE report calls for creating "shadow-free zones" in European waters to minimize this risk. If such zones are not established, the risk of a "serious environmental disaster" is only a matter of time.
Combining the advanced age of the tankers, averaging 18 years, with a lack of adequate insurance, their environmental threat is enormous. Additionally, the actual owners of these ships often remain anonymous due to numerous intermediaries, potentially costing European countries billions in cleanup efforts.
An example is an incident from March, when the 15-year-old tanker Andromeda Star collided with another ship near Denmark. Fortunately, there was no spill as the tanker was on its return voyage, having already unloaded in Russia.
