“Ecological time bombs” – Kallas warns of oil disaster caused by Russian shadow fleet

The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned of an impending oil disaster on European coasts caused by the so-called Russian shadow fleet. The ships are “ecological time bombs” because they are often old, poorly maintained and inadequately insured, Kallas told the editorial network Germany (RND).

“There is a high probability that the next major oil spill on our coasts will come from the shadow fleet,” said Kallas. The fleet also serves to finance the Russian war against Ukraine and has been used in the past as a starting point for hybrid attacks.

However, the greatest pressure on Moscow comes from diplomatic measures, she explained. At the EU's request, African countries have removed hundreds of ships from their registers. “The loss of the flag makes a tanker more vulnerable to inspection and detention and makes authorities, insurers, banks and traders reluctant to do business with it,” said Kallas. ⁠So far, the EU has imposed sanctions on around 670 ships. The ‌EU ​expanded its naval mission Irini three months ago to ‌fight the Russian shadow fleet.