E.U. countries considering large-scale seizures of Russian ‘shadow fleet’ ships in Baltic Sea

European countries are holding discussions about carrying out large-scale seizures of tankers transporting Russian oil through the Baltic Sea, Politico reported on Monday, citing European diplomats and officials. These talks include efforts to develop legal justifications for the seizures.

One proposal under consideration is invoking international law to seize vessels on environmental or anti-piracy grounds. Another option is for individual countries to act independently, using their national laws to detain more ships further out at sea.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna noted that about half of the Russian oil subject to sanctions passes through the Gulf of Finland. He also pointed to recent incidents of undersea cable disruptions in the Baltic and environmental risks linked to tanker traffic.

“Now the question is […] what can we do with these ships?” he told Politico. “We cannot block all the sea, but we can control more. […] There are lots of opportunities.”

Experts and lawyers interviewed by the outlet warned that implementing these plans would be far from straightforward. They said they would anticipate legal retaliation from Russia, significant costs, and complex logistics.

Isaac Levi, a Russia analyst at the at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, stated that in 2024, 348 “shadow fleet” vessels departed from Baltic ports, accounting for 40 percent of Russia’s total oil sales.