European Union Seeks to Expand Rights to Inspect Russia’s “Shadow Fleet”

The European Union plans to negotiate with countries whose flags are flown by ships in Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in order to gain preliminary rights to inspect these vessels, reports Politico, citing a document prepared by the EU External Action Service (EEAS) for a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

The document states that foreign-flagged ships transporting Russian oil pose threats to the environment, maritime safety, and critical infrastructure, and could also be used “as platforms for hybrid attacks against EU territory,” reports DW.

In some cases, such ships have already been suspected of serving as launch platforms for Russian drones likely used to surveil and destabilize civilian airports in Europe, Politico notes. The publication previously reported that Russia’s “shadow fleet” may account for up to 17% of all tankers worldwide.

According to Politico, the EU is already in contact with “priority countries” that provide services to the shadow fleet. Moreover, the bloc “intends to use various tools” to encourage these countries to deregister shadow fleet ships subject to EU sanctions. For example, Panama—the world’s largest ship registry—has reportedly agreed to deregister vessels under EU sanctions and recently decided to halt registration of ships over 15 years old, the EEAS notes.