Tankers and cargo ships form 60-kilometer queue in Gulf of Finland waiting to enter northern Russian ports
A backlog of tankers and cargo ships has formed in the Gulf of Finland as vessels wait for permission to enter Russia’s northern ports. Ukrainian attacks on Russian shipping in the Black Sea have led Moscow to redirect traffic towards the Baltic Sea, and as a result, wait times at the port of Ust-Luga can now reach five days. The unusual buildup was first flagged by the open source intelligence…
Tankers and cargo ships have formed a 60-kilometer long queue in the Gulf of Finland while awaiting permission to enter Russia's northern ports. This situation has arisen due to Ukrainian attacks on Russian shipping in the Black Sea, prompting Moscow to reroute traffic towards the Baltic Sea. As a result, wait times at the port of Ust-Luga have increased to five days.
According to the open source intelligence researcher Russian Forces Spotter, around 150 vessels were waiting for clearance on September 30, with 65 tankers and 85 cargo ships. Currently, there are approximately 200 vessels in the area, consisting of 111 tankers and 83 cargo ships. The queue, spanning nearly 60 kilometers, has gathered around the entrance to the Gulf of Finland, with ships positioned around 120 kilometers from Ust-Luga, a key oil terminal in Russia's region.
Out of the 43 vessels currently waiting, at least six belong to Russia's "shadow fleet," which refers to older, poorly insured oil tankers circumventing international sanctions. This situation is a significant increase from a month ago when the queue was about half as long, with roughly 24 vessels. The congestion started building up in mid-August, and early summer maps showed no more than 10 vessels in the area. The queue's growth began around mid-August, with daily sightings of 10 to 40 ships in the region.
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