A number of environmental organizations have called for a step up in the fight against Russian tankers in the Baltic Sea. Since February 24, 2022, more than a thousand Russian oil tankers have been spotted in the Baltic Sea. Many of them are old and uninsured. Environmentalists are sounding the alarm and demanding sanctions against the “shadow fleet”.
According to the environmental organization Greenpeace, there is a danger of much larger accidents almost every day off the German coast of the Baltic Sea, but the public is not paying attention to this threat. According to Tilo Mack, a marine biologist and Greenpeace activist, the reason is the outdated Russian oil tankers that make up the so-called Russian “shadow fleet”, which enter international waters through the Baltic Sea every day. According to Mack, Greenpeace has presented a list of about 200 ships that need to be taken out of service urgently.
The environmentalists from Greenpeace now primarily intend to ensure that the approximately 200 tankers they have identified are subject to EU sanctions. They are also calling for increased inspections of Russian ships on the high seas.
