Sweden steps up rules against Russia's Baltic 'shadow fleet'

Sweden on Saturday announced new rules upping checks on foreign vessels in the Baltic from July 1, reinforcing a crackdown on Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers deployed to circumvent sanctions on its oil trade.Since the Western-led sanctions imposed after its 2022 all-out invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has been relying on hundreds of such ships, that operate under murky ownership and dodgy insurance. European governments frequently blame the vessels for damaging -- deliberately or not -- undersea cables, and of posing a maritime environmental threat.The Swedish government said in a statement that the new rules "reinforce checks on foreign vessels by requiring insurance information".It said the effort "aims to fight against this fleet and, in so doing, improve maritime safety and environmental protection".The Swedish coast guard and maritime authorities will be tasked with scrutinising insurance details not only of ships docking in Swedish ports, "but also those crossing Swedish territorial waters, or its exclusive economic zone", which extends some 200 nautical miles from shore.Sweden and Finland -- both of whom recently joined NATO -- are alert to Baltic Sea incidents impacting energy and communication infrastructure, after several instances of damage in late 2024.

"We are seeing a growing number of concerning incidents in the Baltic Sea, which requires... us to prepare for the worst," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in Saturday's statement.He added that information gleaned under the new rules checking vessels would be shared with allies and could be added to databases used for sanctions enforcement.The European Union last week adopted a 17th sanctions package against Russia that targets nearly 200 vessels in the "shadow fleet".