Europe mulls large-scale seizures of Russian oil tankers in Baltic Sea

Finnish authorities detained the Russian oil tanker Eagle S in December on suspicion of involvement in damaging a subsea power cable between Finland and Estonia.

The vessel, which was transporting 100,000 barrels of oil from St. Petersburg, has since become a focal point in ongoing geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West, Caliber.Az reports via POLITICO.

Now, European nations are engaged in behind-the-scenes discussions about expanding such detentions, with officials considering large-scale seizures of Russian oil tankers operating in the Baltic Sea. According to two European Union diplomats and two government officials familiar with the talks, new legislation is being drafted to give legal backing to these efforts.

Legal and strategic challenges

Officials say potential legal avenues include invoking international law on environmental or piracy grounds to justify confiscations. Failing that, individual countries may introduce their own national measures to target Russian vessels further out at sea.

“Close to 50 per cent of sanctioned trade [in Russian seaborne oil] is going through the Gulf of Finland,” Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told POLITICO, highlighting both environmental concerns and security threats linked to Russian maritime activities. “Now the question is … what can we do with these ships? We cannot block all the sea, but we can control more … There are lots of opportunities.”

Europe’s growing frustration stems from Russia’s ability to bypass Western sanctions through a “shadow fleet” of ageing, anonymously owned vessels with unclear insurance coverage. This network has allowed Moscow to continue exporting oil—its primary revenue source—despite EU restrictions and a G7-imposed price cap aimed at curbing Kremlin war funds.

A high-stakes move

Despite growing support for action, executing the plan presents major hurdles. Experts and maritime lawyers warn that Europe could face legal retaliation from Russia, high financial costs, and logistical complexities in implementing widespread tanker seizures. The initiative would also require careful navigation of intricate global shipping regulations.

“We have to coordinate, we have to agree how we implement these conventions,” Tsahkna noted.

Since 2022, when the EU banned Russian oil imports and enforced a price cap with the G7, Moscow has actively sought ways to circumvent these measures. Today, Russia’s shadow fleet accounts for up to 17 per cent of all oil tankers worldwide—demonstrating the resilience of its maritime strategy and the challenges facing European enforcement efforts.

As discussions continue, the potential escalation in Europe’s response signals a new phase in the economic and geopolitical confrontation with Russia, one that could redefine the balance of power in the Baltic Sea and beyond.

By Vugar Khalilov