Poland intensifies the fight against the shadow fleet. Key activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The meeting gathered representatives of the EU member countries and the NB8 ++ group, which includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. The topic of conversations were the practices of using the “shadow fleet” by Russia, with an emphasis on oil transport despite applicable restrictions. “Combating illegal activities + shadow fleet + is one of the key priorities of the Polish presidency in the European Union Council” – noted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The deputy head of the ministry, Anna Radwan-Röhrenschef, called the EU to intensify activities. She expressed the belief that the fight against the “shadow fleet” must go hand in hand with further support for Ukraine. As she emphasized, The key is “limiting Russia's ability to finance further aggression.” Experts also discussed the techniques used by Russian ships, such as falsification of Bander, disturbing navigation systems and hiding unit owners.
Poland has announced further intensification of activities in the EU forum to strengthen sanctions and expand the lists of ships covered by restrictions. Currently, about 350 units are entered on the EU list of sanctions. The meeting was also an opportunity to talk about improving international cooperation and information activities in this area.
The problem of the “shadow fleet” became particularly visible in May, when Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced an incident with the participation of a Russian ship that performed suspicious maneuvers near the power cable between Poland and Sweden. Polish military forces intervened, forcing the individual to withdraw to the port in Russia.
