The long and arduous battle in Europe against the Russian “fleet” is far from completing
propaganda“The more the war continues against Russia, the more difficult our answer,” said the high representative of the policy of foreign affairs and security policy this week. Kaja CallasAfter the European Union foreign ministers officially adopted a new round of sanctions against Russia because of its large -scale invasion of Ukraine. The measures included The black list is 189 ships belonging to the “shadow fleet” that is calledThe total number of ships under the restrictions of approximately 350.
The next day, I made Poland Sudden. “A Russian ship from “Shade floating” He underwent the sanctions, was performing suspicious maneuvers near the high voltage cable linking Poland and Sweden, “Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on social networks.” After the effective intervention of our army, the ship sailed towards a Russian ports. “
The coincidence of the events showed, once again, that the tremendous challenges facing the European Union in its mission for one year to end the dark fleet from the hanging oil tankers that Moscow published at sea in a bold and dangerous attempt to avoid the strict economic restrictions imposed by the West. Political interest in “shadow fleet”As is common, He did not stop growing Since June 2024, it has been the first time that Brussels has been appointed by Russia’s oil and has been deprived of reaching European Union ports and services. At that time, the logic of the black list focused mainly on avoiding great avoidance.
But a series of accidents in the Baltic Sea, among them One in December where Finland He seized a suspicious oil tanker to deliberately cut the decisive submarine cable, caused a general warning and shed light on the severe risks assumed by the “shadow fleet” for the safety and a bloc environment. Last week, Estonia launched a difficult warning: Russia is now ready to protect its old ships by military power, if necessary, to allow the deceptive marine oil trade.
The message came after the country’s objection to a suspicious ship that sailed through its waters without a wing or clear insurance. After the Estonas authorities arrested the ship, a Russian military plane appeared at the scene. “This hunting has violated NATO lands for a minute. This is a very new thing,” Estonia Foreign Minister Margos said to us at a meeting of NATO in Türkiye. “We have to understand that Russia has officially linked and communicated with the Russian fleet in the shadow,” he said. “We have to understand that the situation is really dangerous.”
Putin’s support is expensive
The Kremlin collected “Empire in the Shadow” in response to the limit of Russian oil prices transferred by the Group of Seven and Australia established inDecember 2022 After months of intensive negotiations. The innovative initiative prevented Western companies from providing major services to Russian oil tankers, such as insurance, financing and science, to sell crude over an agreed price of $ 60 a barrel. G7 provided two additional “Premium” products ($ 100 a barrel) and “discount” ($ 45 a barrel).
With international scrutiny at its highest point, Moscow turned into Gasoline is in bad conditionSome of them with 20 years or more, managed by complex structures designed to hide real and operating property. Ships I am back With less quality securing, on the sidelines of the leading market alliance, and with “Flags of comfort” One of the hesitant countries to follow Western restrictions, such as Panama, Liberia and Marshall Islands. Over time, the Kremlin defined a large fleet of up to 650 oil tankers able to avoid monitoring the G7 allies through a series of deceptive practices, such as transferring fake data and turning off the transformers into an invisible.
The bet walked well: Since 2022, Russia has sold constantly The oil is at a price above 60 dollars, It is $ 85 In April last year. China and India have replaced Europe as major oil agents in Russia, providing vital income for the war economy. But it also had a great cost: According to the KYIV Economic School (KSE), Moscow I have spent10,000 million dollars In the construction of the navy, which today runs most of the Russian crude trade around the world.
In Brussels, the blatant situation soon became an increasingly sustainable problem, and it is uncomfortable to be sold a large part of these oil tanks to Russia by Russia. Western Europe companiesEspecially Greece. In particular, the bloc refrained from entering a direct ban to sell or transport oil ownership to Russia, despite the prohibition of thousands of other exports that Moscow needs urgently. Instead, I submitted a notice system under which European Union companies and individuals are committed Alert these transactions If the potential buyer is associated with Russia. The sale remains, by default, unless the National Authority is to license.
‘What-A-Mole’
After several rounds of sanctions, the European Union expanded its black list to 342 ships of “Ghost Fleet” Some have also been subjected to sanctions by the United Kingdom and the United States. The bloc imposed individual sanctions on companies that allow avoidance to stop the price of the G7, the latest VSK, a distinguished insurance company for the Russian energy sector. Ursula von der Lin He said There are more penalties on the road.
This indicates that after nearly three years, Western governments The issue is taken seriously“EURONWS” Petras Katinas, Energy Analyst at the Crea Energy Research Center (CREA). Continuous appointment contributed to reducing the marine activities of the fleet, as the ports increase Monthly report De La Crea explains that the percentage of oil tankers “in the shade” that transport Russian oil has decreased from 65 % in January to 53 % in April, while the remaining 47 % make oils owned by the G7 or the insured countries, which must fulfill the price.
However, many lakes stains. For example, shipping to the transfer of boats, which Russia uses to hide the origin of raw and sell them deceptive in global markets. “These operations It must be banned “Since they assume a clear danger to the compliance of sanctions and maritime security, the dark that is not penetrated and that surrounds the” fleet in the shade “has turned to repression into a kind of word game: Once the ship enters the blacklist, another comes out of the shade,” Katinas said.
propagandaThe data clearly shows that the penalty of ships is not enough. A more vibrant application To ensure the existence of these names Real effect“Yulia Pavitska, responsible for the penal program at the Kiev Economic School Institute.” He warned that all approved ships are still inactive after being inserted into the list, noting that many Russles “loaded” in the shade “by European waters to hinder their ability to move.
International maritime law places the innocent traffic, which forces all states to ensure traffic without obstacles or discrimination in foreign ships. The right requires a heavy burden to justify the approach of a foreign ship and its arrest, which is a fundamental choice that must depend on clear forms of illegal activity,As did Finland when he stopped the eagle By doubts about sabotage and sabotage.
In theory, expanding the interpretation of this right to enable authorities to intercept and stop the widespread and regular “ghost fleet” ships will allow the European Union to carry their repression, and criticized for being very gradual, to the next level of efficiency. in A recent studyThe International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) warned that this aggressive plan will encourage “review countries”, such as China, Iran and Russia, “To misuse the system more than they have already done,” and “Leave the West more likely to accusations of non -bonding in the application of global principles.”
