European countries to strengthen joint action against Russia's 'shadow fleet'

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Copenhagen, Denmark | AFP

Fourteen countries from Northern Europe on Thursday agreed to strengthen collaboration to combat Russia's "shadow fleet", which Moscow is accused of using to circumvent sanctions and sell its oil, the Danish foreign ministry said.

According to a statement from Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom had met to discuss the issue on Thursday.

"We have agreed to further strengthen our cooperation and ensure a joint and coordinated approach by our national authorities to address Russia's shadow fleet," the statement said.

The countries had committed to "compile a common set of guidelines in line with international law to promote responsible behaviour at sea, strengthen compliance with international law, and ensure transparency across maritime operations."

Security analysts say Russia is operating a large "shadow fleet" of hundreds of vessels, seeking to dodge the sanctions Western nations imposed on its oil exports over the war in Ukraine.

Several undersea Baltic cables were damaged last year, with many experts calling it part of a "hybrid war" carried out by Russia against Western countries.

"If vessels fail to fly a valid flag in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, we will take appropriate action within international law," the statement said.

It added that "stateless vessels, including those falsely claiming to fly a flag," lack a responsible flag state and do not have the same rights entitled to them under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In January, NATO announced the deployment of ships, aircraft and drones in a Baltic Sea operation in response to damage to several submarine cables, but the operation requires considerable human and material resources.

In the face of these threats, the transatlantic organisation wants to strengthen its fleet of unmanned surveillance ships in the Baltic Sea as part of its operation "Task Force X".