Thirty-one (31) ageing oil tankers from Russia’s ‘ghost fleet' were spotted in the Gulf of Finland within one week, reportedly evading Western sanctions, Finnish public TV channel Yle reported on Monday.
The ships, identified in October, are on the EU sanctions list and use the narrow Baltic Sea corridor for operations.
Russia relies on these vessels, whose ownership is often unclear, to continue exporting crude oil despite Western restrictions.
Mikko Hirvi, head of maritime safety at Finland’s Border Guard, said the number was unsurprising.
“Russian cargo volumes in the Gulf of Finland have returned to pre-war levels, which largely involves the ghost fleet,” he told French news agency AFP.
Last week, the European Union expanded the sanctions, blacklisting over 100 oil tankers.
Such measures ban the vessels from accessing ports or receiving services within the EU. Their aim is to empower Member States to conduct enhanced inspections.
The ageing ships transport primarily crude oil and refined products, including petrol and diesel, from Russian ports such as Ust-Luga and Primorsk in the Baltic region.
Experts cited by Yle warn that they are a ticking time bomb for the environment.
“The risk of environmental accidents, particularly in the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, is undoubtedly high,” Hirvi cautioned.
