The EU should consider tough new restrictions against the aging armada of ships illicitly carrying Russian oil around the world, Latvia’s foreign minister said, following reports of a Black Sea oil spill caused by two damaged Russian tankers carrying thousands of barrels of crude.
Speaking to POLITICO on Monday, Baiba Braže said the EU must develop tighter rules for hundreds of aging vessels believed to be trading in Moscow’s fuels.
“The so-called Russian shadow fleet is not truly hidden — its ships are identifiable and well-known,” she said. “We have to be stricter at the EU level on these tankers that pose a significant risk to our citizens’ well being, our habitats and environment.”
Russia’s shadow fleet has been used by the Kremlin to circumvent Western restrictions that impose a $60-per-barrel price cap on its oil. It consists of older ships that operate without proper insurance or safety checks, leading to repeated warnings of the risk of catastrophic oil spills along European coastlines.
