Baltic states develop rules for tackling Russia’s "shadow fleet" – Lithuanian Foreign Minister

Delfi reported the information.

The minister’s comment came after an incident in Estonia, where a ship from the shadow fleet was spotted in its economic waters. The crew refused to follow the Estonian authorities’ orders.

“We will coordinate and develop common rules within the CBSS on how to act when ships do not comply with instructions or are classified as part of the ‘shadow fleet’ and have no flag at all, as was the case this time. They should not be covered by international legal norms protecting their jurisdiction,” Budrys said.

According to him, the council also discussed the possibility of restricting the movement of shadow ships through straits.

“International maritime law in this situation is not entirely clear, but obviously, when ships have no flag, coastal states have more room to act,” said the Lithuanian Foreign Minister.

He added that expanding the sanctions list on shadow ships will also limit Russia’s ability to use its fleet.

"Another measure is to synchronize all existing lists of ships that are on various sanctions lists across different jurisdictions — the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. We need to expand this list. After the 17th package, there are currently 350 ships on it; we need to fill it completely to further reduce Russia’s ability to use its fleet and pose a threat to us," Budrys noted.

• On May 15, the Estonian Navy attempted to detain an oil tanker bound for Russia, which is under UK sanctions.
• Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Russia is ready to defend its "shadow fleet" after a Russian fighter jet and tanker incident near Tallinn.