Gloves coming off in Europe to deal with 'ghost ships'

Russia's shadow fleet regularly refuse such Danish assistance, leaving little doubt about the clandestine purpose of their ships.

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In theory, this should be enough to take action against Russia's shadow fleet. Denmark and other countries on the Baltic Sea could intercept these ships and inspect their status, as well as their insurance coverage, overall technical condition and national registration papers. It is doubtful that any of Russia's shadow tankers would pass such inspections.

The inspections would be perfectly justified since Russia's rickety vessels have a higher chance of breakdown or spillage, risking major environmental disasters. And, indeed, the idea that Denmark should be given the task of inspecting and potentially blocking tankers of Russian oil sailing through its waters was seriously discussed by European Union leaders as far back as November 2023. Yet almost two years later, nothing was done.

The reason for this Western silence is the fear that President Vladimir Putin could regard any seizure or stoppage of Russia's shadow fleet as a blockade of his country, and may unleash a bigger confrontation with Nato, the US-led military alliance in Europe.