Russia’s shadow fleet will no longer be allowed into the Baltic Sea. An official letter says growing interference with satellite navigation in European waters “originating from the Russian Federation” is creating risks. As a result, ships that conceal their nationality by changing flags and names will be detained.
Vessels may sail under only one flag and must carry valid safety and insurance documentation, according to a joint statement published by the UK Department for Transport.
Tankers that do not meet these requirements will be treated as stateless vessels and will be detained.
The statement said Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom issued the warning after publishing a joint open letter through the UK government.
In that letter, the countries said the growing interference with satellite navigation in European waters “originating from the Russian Federation” undermines the safety of international shipping. All vessels are at risk.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, interference with satellite navigation has been documented for years, with European aviation regulators warning about an increase in GNSS jamming and spoofing incidents affecting areas around the war zone and disrupting air and maritime traffic.
“Maintaining trust in maritime navigation requires more than just technology — it requires accountability, transparency and decisive action. We must ensure the safety of our seas, including in the event of failures or disruptions to systems,” the statement said.
The signatories warned that shadow tankers concealing their origin — changing flags, switching off transponders or operating without proper documentation — will be considered stateless. Such ships may be detained without legal risk.
On January 22, French Navy personnel boarded an oil tanker sailing from Russia under a false flag. The operation took place in the Mediterranean Sea.
And on January 20, the United States detained the oil tanker Sagitta in the Caribbean, a sanctioned vessel that is part of Russia’s shadow fleet. The tanker violated a quarantine in the Caribbean imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump for sanctioned vessels.
