From July 1, Sweden will tighten controls on ships from the so-called Russian shadow fleet that sail through Swedish waters and Sweden's exclusive economic zone and that dock in Swedish ports. Specifically, the ships' insurance information will be reviewed. This is reported by the Swedish news agency TT.
Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer told Sveriges Radio that the inspection could form the basis for sanctions against more vessels in the Russian shadow fleet than those already affected by sanctions.
- We think that it should both have a preventive, deterrent effect against vessels that are part of the Russian shadow fleet, and also provide a basis for adopting other measures such as sanctioning more vessels, he says.
In a press release, Sweden's Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, reiterates that the inspection could form the basis for sanctions against more ships.
- This emphasizes Sweden's clear presence in the Baltic Sea, which in itself has a deterrent effect. It also provides Sweden and our allies with important information about vessels that can form the basis for sanctioning more vessels in the shadow fleet, says Ulf Kristersson according to TT.
The announcement of Sweden's tightened control of ships in the shadow fleet comes a few weeks after a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), where the threat from the Russian shadow fleet was discussed. The meeting was attended by government leaders from, among others, the Nordic countries - including the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen (S).
- Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security. This also applies when it comes to the Russian shadow fleet, which finances Russia's war against Ukraine, said Mette Frederiksen in connection with the meeting.
Already in December last year, it emerged that Sweden, together with the other Nordic countries, Poland, Great Britain and the Baltic countries, had entered into an agreement on control of ships from the Russian shadow fleet. It was precisely the ships' insurance papers that needed to be checked.
Meeting on possible seizures on Wednesday
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M) told TV 2 on Saturday that he had summoned his colleagues from the countries around the Baltic Sea to a meeting where they would examine the possibilities of seizing ships from the shadow fleet. The meeting will take place on Wednesday.
- We have already tightened our grip on these ships considerably. Now we have to consider tightening it further to ensure the necessary effect, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen to TV 2.
The ships in the Russian shadow fleet are typically old and worn out and often have unknown insurance and ownership. They are used by Russia to circumvent international sanctions because the ships cannot be directly linked to Russia.
Checking the ships' insurance policies should help determine whether the ships have control over their safety and whether the companies behind them have the means to clean up a possible oil spill if an accident occurs.
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