A number of transport security experts have protested against the movement of shadow fleet ships, which are actively transporting Russian oil and liquefied natural gas. They emphasize the particular danger of such ships’ voyages.
According to experts, the average age of these vessels is about 20 years, while in general the world tanker fleet is 13 years. Environmentalists warn that the operation of such old ships without insurance can cause large-scale environmental disasters. In addition to illegal transportation, some tankers are suspected of involvement in sabotage against underwater infrastructure facilities — pipelines and cables.
Most of them do not have proper insurance, regularly change flags, submit false information about their whereabouts and transship oil at sea. According to researchers, sooner or later there will be a major oil spill accident, comparable to the 1979 disaster, when a collision between two tankers led to a spill of more than 2 million barrels of oil. According to him, at least a third of the «shadow» tankers should be disposed of immediately, and in reality more than half are at risk.
Experts advocate strengthening the fight against tankers of the shadow fleet, in particular, including the assessment of technical conditions for the imposition of new sanctions. Researchers also advocate increasing the number of inspections on the high seas of oil tankers passing through European waters.
