EU nations step up pressure on shadow fleet carrying Russian oil

A group of 14 European countries has issued an open warning to shadow-fleet tankers operating in the Baltic and North Seas, signaling heightened scrutiny of vessels they say are endangering maritime safety.

In a joint statement released by the UK Department for Transport, the countries emphasized that ships must sail under the flag of a single state and maintain valid documentation on safety and insurance, among other requirements. Tankers failing to comply, the statement said, will be treated as stateless vessels, citing provisions of a global maritime treaty as the legal basis, Caliber.Az reports.

The so-called shadow, or dark, fleet comprises around 1,500 tankers transporting Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil worldwide. These vessels are often older than regular ships and frequently operate under false flags, appearing legitimate while avoiding regulatory compliance.

By designating such tankers as stateless, the signatory nations could increase their capacity to intervene against them. The statement formalizes measures that some European countries have already taken in recent weeks to pressure ships critical to Russian oil exports.

For example, the French navy last week boarded a falsely flagged oil tanker from Russia, while a vessel pretending to be another ship was forced to U-turn off Germany earlier this month. Governments have long pledged action against the dark fleet, but the stance has hardened in 2026. The United States has also been seizing tankers linked to Venezuelan oil trade.

The statement specifically singled out Russia for interfering with satellite-based positioning and navigation systems, which pose risks to international shipping. The signatories called on the global maritime community to cooperate in developing alternative onshore radio-navigation systems as a backup if satellite-based systems are disrupted, and warned that ships’ automatic identification systems should not be tampered with.

The 14 countries, including Sweden, France, Germany, and the UK, are strategically positioned along waterways that serve as the only outlets for major crude export hubs in western Russia. Tankers transporting Urals crude from Primorsk and Ust-Luga must pass through the Baltic and North Seas before entering the Atlantic Ocean, making enforcement in these regions particularly consequential.

By Vafa Guliyeva