Espreso. Global
OPINION

Russia's shadow fleet: environmental concerns demand fresh sanctions

29 October, 2024 Tuesday
21:16

The lion's share of Russia's shadow fleet consists of obsolete and physically worn-out tankers that should have been scrapped

client/title.list_title

For example, in 2023, not a single tanker was scrapped globally. However, the use of old vessels has its own logic.

Tankers that violate sanctions risk being noticed by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control, which imposes sanctions and may restrict their use. There is even a possibility that the owner will be forced to scrap the vessel. Therefore, there is a risk of losing the vessel, and shadow fleet operators prefer older tankers, which have a lower price and will incur less loss in case of confiscation. Additionally, old tankers that were supposed to be scrapped are, in fact, the only way to quickly assemble a large number of ships for the shadow fleet.

The use of outdated and worn-out vessels increases the risk of accidents and the danger of oil spills, which are always a major environmental concern. What will happen if these vessels cause a significant number of such environmental incidents? And who will pay for the consequences?

Read also: Sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet: underway, but insufficient

For example, two-thirds of Russian tankers passing through the Danish Straits do not have insurance coverage for damages. Global insurers are based in Western countries and are subject to Western sanctions, so these shadowy vessels turn to alternative insurance (including Russian companies like Ingosstrakh), which is often completely inadequate. Frequently, the contracts are written in such a way that it is nearly impossible to hold the owner or operator of the vessel accountable. In this case, the countries that are directly affected will bear the responsibility for covering the losses. In other words, these are not genuine insurance contracts, but sheer fraud.

A recent report by Greenpeace notes that the number of oil tankers leaving Russian ports in the Baltic Sea (Primorsk, St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga, and Vysotsk) and passing the German Baltic coast is now 70% higher than before the full-scale war. Last year, about a thousand tankers with Russian oil passed by the German coast, marking the highest number on record.

At the same time, these tankers are almost twice as old as those that used this route before the war, and they are in poor condition, poorly maintained, and rarely inspected. The average age of tankers is now 16.6 years, compared to 8.9 years before the full-scale war.

Consequently, since the beginning of the war, there has been a greater number of vessel passages that are less reliable in terms of operational safety and environmental risks. For example, on August 22, two of the three tankers passing along the German coast were uninsured. They were 17, 18, and 20 years old. One of them, the Chilli, had been repeatedly cited during port inspections. Last July, Indian port inspectors noted corrosion on the ship's hull. In March, inspectors at the Indian port of Sikka found at least six faults on the Chilli and detained it.

European countries that deal with the scrap metal of Russia's shadow fleet should be concerned about the risks of oil spills. The potential for environmental disasters should be a key argument in communications with the West to increase pressure on the Russian shadow fleet.

In June, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated that Denmark and several other Western countries are considering ways to limit, if not completely stop, the dangerous movement of Russia's shadow fleet through the only exit from the Baltic Sea. This could involve using certain rights of coastal states to prevent environmental damage.

Commercial shipping through the Danish straits is protected under international law - the Copenhagen Convention of 1857 guarantees the right of innocent passage for commercial ships. However, this raises the question: to what extent is the movement of the Russian shadow fleet peaceful? It’s important to note that Russian oil revenues obtained by circumventing sanctions are a significant source of funding for the Russian budget, and thus for the war against Ukraine.

Additionally, we must consider how significant the environmental risks associated with possible oil spills are and how they compare to security concerns. International law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, grants coastal states the right to take action against ships that pose an environmental threat.

If some countries are hesitant to take adequate measures to restrict the activities of the Russian shadow fleet, then the environmental risks of using outdated vessels to transport Russian oil in violation of sanctions should be emphasized further.

Source

About the author. Andrian Prokip, energy analyst at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future.

The editors don't always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.

Tags:
Read also:
  • News
2024, Saturday
2 November
20:15
Russia illegally 'nationalizes' 1,200 properties in Crimea in 2024
19:53
Exclusive
Putin will restrain himself if Trump comes to power - diplomat Volker
19:30
Exclusive
NATO membership may become more realistic for Ukraine - diplomat Bryza
19:08
107 clashes at front: Russian army attacks in 11 sectors - Ukraine's General Staff
18:46
Exclusive
'Russia to sign DPRK-like agreement': expert on Iran's possible participation in war against Ukraine
18:24
OPINION
War of underdeveloped economies
18:02
Ukraine develops Hrim-2 missile capable of targeting Putin – media
17:44
Exclusive
No betrayal expected from U.S. under Trump, but Ukraine must brace for prolonged war - political expert
17:21
OPINION
North Korean soldiers in Ukraine will trigger domino effect worldwide
16:59
Exclusive
Alarming trends: Space of Freedom movement on renewed Russification in public space
16:38
Ukraine resists one of Russia’s most powerful offensives since war started – top general
16:16
Russia damages nearly 400 residential buildings in Ukraine's Kharkiv in October
15:57
Exclusive
China is strongly dissatisfied with North Korea's actions - diplomat Bryza
15:35
OPINION
Is Russia planning massive missile attack on Ukraine?
15:12
Exclusive
Frontline is not falling apart - military expert
14:50
Ukraine to have its own cruise, ballistic missiles by 2025
14:33
Russia attacks Ukraine with Shaheds: drone debris falls in 6 Kyiv districts, injuring people
14:11
Review
Russia's tactics in Kursk region, situation in Toretsk sector. Serhiy Zgurets' column
13:48
Exclusive
Putin awaits U.S. presidential election winner to press influence demands - political analyst
13:29
North Korea claims to support Russia until it wins in Ukraine
13:10
OPINION
Russia begs Kazakhstan for civilian aircraft
12:51
'All possible scenarios are being considered': South Korean FM on providing Ukraine with weapons
12:33
145 combat clashes occur at front on Nov. 1 - Ukraine's General Staff
12:12
Russian troops attempt to break through to center of Terny near Lyman - DeepState
11:54
Partisans record Russian unit's relocation after Ukrainian strike in Zaporizhzhia region
11:37
Russia deploys over 7,000 North Korean troops to border with Ukraine
11:18
Exclusive
Drone swarm targets Kyiv today: military expert on Russia's possible preparations for major attack
10:56
North Korean troops in Russia may face major problems - UK intelligence
10:35
Russia loses 1,270 soldiers, 37 artillery systems, 8 tanks in one day of war in Ukraine
2024, Friday
1 November
21:30
OPINION
Nation debating plan for victory, not survival
21:11
106 Russian Shahed drones violate Belarusian airspace since July
20:57
Poland declares ‘high readiness’ for new wave of Ukrainian refugees
20:40
OPINION
Serious talk about NATO
20:25
Odesa faces most intense missile attacks among Ukraine's rear areas in October
20:10
Russian marines in Sevastopol paying off to avoid being sent to Kursk region
20:05
Updated
Colonel killed, 26 police officers, 4 civilians injured in Russian missile strike on Kharkiv
19:55
U.S. announces new $425 million security assistance package for Ukraine
19:35
Estonian intelligence assesses combat capability of North Korean military in Russia's war on Ukraine
19:16
Russia relies on the drone count, not on technological upgrades - Defense Express
18:54
Exclusive
Putin in winning position, not in need of any negotiations - international expert Nesvitalov
More news