Germany sets its sights on Russia's shadow fleet
The German government wants to follow other EU countries and take more decisive action against Russia's shadow fleet, accusing it of helping Moscow evade sanctions and carry out acts of sabotage.
On September 1, Germany blamed Russia for a failed drone attack on Leipzig Airport and announced tough measures against Russia's "shadow fleet." These are often aging, poorly maintained, and inadequately insured vessels, mostly oil tankers, with opaque ownership structures. The issue is complicated by parts of the shadow fleet being linked to hybrid activities like sabotage and espionage.
Germany has not taken enough action, said Green Party spokesperson Sara Nanni, accusing the government of failing to address the problem. Finland, the UK, France, and Sweden have taken a tougher stance, detaining suspicious vessels in their territorial waters. The Swedish Coast Guard specifically targets tankers suspected of belonging to the shadow fleet, leading to better behavior from Russia.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to punish those responsible for hybrid attacks. However, experts warn that inspecting Russian vessels can be risky, as Russian warships may escort them, and armed crews tied to Russian mercenary groups could be on board. Estonia learned this the hard way in 2025 when Russia scrambled a fighter jet to stop Estonian officials from inspecting an oil tanker.
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