The Denmark Maritime Office informed “Danwatch” that 79 tankers were inspected near Skagen, four of which were detained. One of the units turned out to be Vietnamese Vigo tankerwhich, according to Lloyd's Data, List of Intelligence [portal śledzący ruch statków] It belongs to the Russian shadow fleet. The ship was detained on April 22 and still remains in the anchor.
Martin John, who is responsible for ship checks in the Denmark Inspection Department, explains that very serious faults were detected on the VIGO shipwhich pose a threat to the crew during a further journey.
– Firm faces were detected in fire and safety, sea maps were not valid, technical defects of the equipment and toilets and many other irregularities were found. There were serious faults on board the ship, so we stopped the ship – he said. Martin John emphasizes that it is very rare for the authorities to meet ships in such a poor condition. The expert points out that the loop around the crumbling Russian shadow fleet is slowly tightening.
At the University of Copenhagen there is a person who knows a lot about the patterns of the Shadow Fleet Navigation – Evgeny Gołowczenko, assistant professor at the Institute of Political Sciences. He implemented several large projects regarding the Fleet of Shadow and Transa of Ships.
– The fight against the shadow fleet is primarily that its activity becomes more expensive and much more troublesome. In this way, Russia will be able to export less oil, and thus earn less money to the war machine – he says. The expert points out that the key step has not yet been made.
Units from the shadow fleet not only act illegally, bypassing sanctions, but pose a threat to the crew and the environment. According to analysts, including Gołowczenka, the actions of Danish services are crucial in the fight against Putin's war machine, but other European countries must also join these actions.
– We stopped four ships in total, but none of them can compare with Vigo. Our approach is that we do not accept ships in poor condition – says Martin John from the Denmark Maritime Office. The units will be able to flow again after repairing current faults.
A review of data from the European Database of Paris Mou organs shows that nine out of 79 inspections carried out at the Skagen Kotwicowisko concerned shields ships. After announcing the inspection of the shadow fleet in February, most suspicious tankers began to bypass an anchor, which was previously a communication node for tankers flowing to from and Russia.
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Instead, some ships from the shadow fleet stopped a little further from Skagen or swam through Europe without stopping. This is due to the data of the Marinetraffic website, which analyzes traffic on the seas and oceans.
“The Denmark Maritime Office does not monitor the movement of ships flowing next to Skaen, which is why it does not know how many ships currently bypass this area,” says Martin John.
“It is key to taking similar actions by other countries”
According to Gołowczenka from the University of Copenhagen, it is good that the inspections deter ships from the anchor to Skagen, because they can no longer be served by enterprises at the port.
– Remembrance is a relatively good result because it hinders the actions of the shadow fleet. It is key to taking similar actions by other countries so that the travel of the shadow fleet is difficult on the entire route through Europe, and not only near Skagen – said Gołowczenko.
Heikki Saukkoma/Lehtikuva Oy/East News/East News
Eagle S tanker belonging to the Russian shadow fleet, detained in December 2024 by Finnish services for damage to the submarine cable (illustrative photos)
The Vigo crew has been staying for four months on anchored tanker near Skagen, since he was detained. The crew could not leave the ship. At that time, the crew received food and other necessary articles, working on removing numerous faults. The authorities inform that they have checked all the information, including the owner and insurance, and did not find anything suspicious.
Therefore, VIGO received permission to further cruise on August 5, but he still remains at the anchor in Denmark. According to Martin John, this may be due to the fact that the ship is waiting for the entrance to the Shipyard in Vietnam.
The Denmark Maritime Office carries out about 500 inspections annually in Danish ports. The “Danwatch” website could not be contacted the owner of the VIGO ship.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
