Russia shifts oil using shadow fleet tankers in Gulf of Finland - media

This was reported by Yle investigators.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU imposed sanctions on Russian oil, and Western ships stopped transporting it.

The investigation revealed that Russia is using vessels belonging to the so-called shadow fleet to evade sanctions. These are oil tankers that either have Russian insurance or no insurance at all. If a vessel is not properly insured, it can be difficult to recover damages in the event of an accident, the journalists explain.

It is noted that from January to May 2024, about 600 tankers carrying Russian oil passed through the Gulf of Finland. Almost half of them, 283, belonged to the shadow fleet. Many of these vessels visited Russian oil ports several times during this period.

The Yle investigation states that in the spring, a blacklisted oil tanker passed through the Gulf of Finland every two weeks.

However, out of the 283 ships in the shadow fleet, only 11 were blacklisted. A blacklisted vessel means that it is in such poor condition or has such serious deficiencies that it is prohibited from operating. An independent maritime inspection organization, Paris MoU, can blacklist a ship.

In addition to having poor insurance, many oil tankers can also be old: nearly 7 out of 10 oil tankers operating in the Gulf of Finland are 15 years old or older.

There is no clear limit to the lifespan of oil tankers, but experts Yle has spoken to say that after 15 years, the risk of technical problems increases.

It is difficult to stop the movement of tankers that pick up Russian oil in the Russian oil harbors of Ust-Luga and Primorsk at the far end of the Gulf of Finland. According to experts, the traffic takes place in international waters, and the coastal state cannot interfere.

Only the flag state or the port state can intervene if the ship enters their harbor. Oil tankers carrying Russian oil avoid Baltic Sea ports.

• An independent study conducted by the environmental organisation Greenpeace found that tankers carrying Russian oil continue to head for EU ports despite the sanctions.