EDITORIAL ⟩ Not even a shadow of the shadow fleet!

«As if killing people wasn't enough! Now it’s coming to destroy the sea creatures too.» – Daily caricature, January 13. Illustration: Urmas Nemvalts

• The US imposed sanctions on 183 ships.
• Possibilities for impeding the shadow fleet must be considered.

The shadow fleet transporting Russian oil is not only a security problem, but also a serious threat to the environment.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that the shadow fleet, which Russia is using to conduct foreign trade, must be brought under control because, on the one hand, it is a security threat, but on the other hand, it is also a serious environmental risk.

While the Eagle S, which probably destroyed Estlink 2 and the communication cables under the Baltic Sea, has been detained by Finland, another vessel belonging to the shadow fleet, the 270-meter-long tanker Eventin, ran into trouble off the coast of Germany, near the island of Rügen, in strong winds. The ship, carrying 99,000 tons of oil products, lost control and was towed to safer waters by tugs.

Hundreds of such ships, flying completely different flags, are involved in Russian oil exports. While the Eagle S sails under the flag of the Cook Islands, the Eventin is registered in Panama. It is easy to operate ships under such flags of convenience, as supervision over them is essentially non-existent. As a result, the shadow fleet's vessels are mostly dilapidated and rusty, and lack proper insurance. According to the Atlantic Council, a US think tank, several shadow fleet tankers have exploded.

The United States announced broad sanctions on Russia's energy sector on Friday, targeting two major oil companies and 183 ships carrying Russian oil.

There are also possibilities for Estonia to take action against the shadow fleet.

There are also possibilities for Estonia to take action against the shadow fleet. If nothing more, we can at least bully the shadow fleet vessels entering our ports – keep them in the roadstead and control them.

While the idea of Estonia and Finland expanding their territorial sea sounds good, the nuances of international maritime law will likely make it a useless or even harmful step. Alexander Lott, a researcher at the Norwegian Center for the Law of the Sea, noted in an interview with [Estonian public broadcaster] ERR that instead of the right of innocent passage, the right of transit passage would probably apply, which is essentially nothing more than what currently applies on the high seas, but it would apply from coast to coast.

Together with its allies, Estonia must consider all options for impeding the shadow fleet. Since these ships are clearly environmentally dangerous, this issue must be raised internationally, not only from a political perspective, but also from a nature conservation perspective.

The Baltic Sea is a vulnerable, shallow sea where thousands of tons of oil spills would cause a major disaster. All it would take is for something more serious to happen one day to a clunker carrying Russian oil. This threat must be eliminated.