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#shadowfleet

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#Ukraine #ShadowFleet

"Russian Sabotage and Illegal Spying in the North Sea Slammed! | RFU News" [5:27 min]
by RFU News — Reporting from Ukraine

youtube.com/watch?v=glxU22nEYa

Quote by RFUN:
"Jun 27, 2025
Here, the United Kingdom ramped up its role in the campaign against Russia’s shadow fleet, a vast network of aging, uninsured oil tankers used to dodge sanctions and bankroll the war in Ukraine. But this is not just about oil, the fleet’s growing presence near critical infrastructure and its open defiance of maritime rules have turned it into a front line in a broader hybrid conflict.
The United Kingdom has now joined the Nordic and Baltic states in a joint declaration, pledging coordinated enforcement, tracking, and interdiction operations against the Russian shadow fleet, essentially bringing Britain into the heart of NATO’s Baltic blockade. The trigger came on June 16, when a Russian corvette openly escorted two shadow fleet tankers through the English Channel, a move designed to challenge Western enforcements and demonstrate that Moscow was willing to use military force to protect illegal shipments. Two days later, London struck back, sanctioning 20 more ships linked to the fleet and targeting support networks used to finance and operate them, before officially joining the blockade.
This escalation did not come out of nowhere. In January, under the Joint Expeditionary Force framework, the UK helped launch ‘’Nordic Warden’’, a multinational operation to monitor shadow fleet activity and protect undersea infrastructure. This allowed the Royal Navy to recover several Russian spy sensors in UK waters, devices believed to be used for tracking and scanning the Royal Navy’s stealth submarines’ sonar signatures, as well as mapping undersea cables for future sabotage. This incident added to the larger picture in light of other sabotages: Russia was not just skirting sanctions, it was probing Europe’s defenses, using its shipping fleet as both a revenue stream and a tool for sabotage.
In response, the UK has shifted from passive monitoring to active disruption. On May 9, it rolled out its largest sanctions package to date, blacklisting 100 tankers linked to more than 24 billion dollars in oil trade. That number has since grown, with a total of 140 vessels and dozens of companies now cut off from the United Kingdom’s markets. These measures are not symbolic; shadow fleet tankers run without insurance, often disable transponders, and sail through crowded maritime routes. The risk of environmental damage is high, but so is the risk to energy infrastructure. For the United Kingdom, this is as much about national security as it is about enforcing sanctions.
Britain’s operational role in the blockade leans heavily on geography. Russian oil exports from Ust-Luga and Primorsk must cross the Danish Straits, a natural chokepoint between the North Sea and the Baltic. UK naval patrols now pass through Skagerrak and Kattegat, linking up with Danish and Swedish forces around Bornholm and Gotland. Surveillance aircraft track tankers that switch off their tracking systems or take suspicious detours. This is not about boarding every ship; it is about cutting the options down until the fleet has nowhere left to run.
The United Kingdom brings technical tools that others do not. Its P-8 Poseidon aircraft, sonar-equipped frigates, and seabed monitoring teams, originally designed for submarine warfare, are now repurposed to detect sabotage risks. Additionally, undersea patrols sweep for devices like the Russian spy sensors found in April. If Russia uses the shadow fleet to mask grey zone operations, spying, jamming, and cable interference, like they already did in the Baltics, then Britain’s tools become the early warning system. That system matters – these ships are not just carrying oil: they are carrying leverage. A major spill could wreck the Baltic coastline. A minor cable cut could knock out power or internet in parts of Europe. The shadow fleet is a military liability, an environmental risk, and an economic pressure point all in one. That is why the United Kingdom’s response is layered, with ships, sensors, and sanctions working together.
Overall, Britain’s entry into the blockade turned a regional enforcement effort into a full-spectrum containment campaign. Moscow’s provocations, from escorting tankers to prevent boarding, to underwater espionage, have forced this shift. Now, with the United Kingdom closing off exits from the West, and Nordic States tightening control from the north and east, the window for shadow operations is narrowing. Russia still has ships, but fewer safe routes. And each time one slips through, it faces more eyes, more pressure, and fewer chances to vanish again."

#SlavaUkraini ! #HeroyamSláva!
#Crush the #RussianTerroristState

#Ukraine #Sweden #Baltic #ShadowFleet

"IT ENDS NOW! 100 Fighter Jets ON STANDBY! Sweden Has Zero Tolerance For Aggression! | RFU News"
by RFU News — Reporting from Ukraine

youtube.com/watch?v=mQn2sZKazX

Quote by RFUN:
"Jun 11, 2025
Here, being one of the most targeted countries in the area by Russian sabotage acts, Sweden decided to act decisively. As one of the newest NATO members and having the largest Baltic coastline, Sweden set out to tighten its grip on the Russian shadow fleet operations to eliminate any possibility of new hybrid attacks on its infrastructure.
Recently, Russian maritime activity in the Baltic Sea has become increasingly aggressive and suspicious, with a series of incidents pointing to a pattern of Russian sabotage targeting undersea infrastructure. The sabotage operations started in December 2024, when a shadow fleet oil tanker operating under questionable ownership damaged undersea data and communication cables off Finland, likely by dragging a loose anchor.
Just a month later, a Russian-linked vessel damaged a critical undersea cable between Latvia and Sweden, triggering a full-scale sabotage investigation. The pattern continued at the end of May when the shadow fleet tanker Sun was detected dangerously close to a key Poland-Sweden power cable and was forced to retreat after intervention by the Polish Navy. Subsequent Russian provocations near Estonian waters and reports of Polish forces driving away Russian vessels operating near Swedish cables underscore the escalating threat.
In response to recent provocations, Sweden is joining NATO’s regional efforts by tightening inspections of Russian shadow fleet tankers. From July 1, the Swedish Coast Guard will require insurance documentation from all vessels transiting its territorial waters or economic zone, not just those docking at ports. This enforces the EU’s April 2025 directive and reflects Sweden’s resolve to counter the risks posed by the Russian shadow fleet. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that growing incidents in the Baltic demand preparedness, while Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer emphasized the need for increased inspections, calling the shadow fleet a threat to maritime safety.
Sweden has already been patrolling shipping lanes and monitoring these tankers, but the new rules significantly expand enforcement authority. The signal is clear, and Sweden is no longer willing to tolerate covert Russian activity in the Baltic. This move also comes amid heightened Russian rhetoric. Moscow has declared its willingness to use all means to respond to inspections and has begun deploying naval escorts for shadow fleet tankers. Following recent airspace violations over Finland and Estonia, and confrontational language from Russia’s UN ambassador comparing inspections to piracy, NATO states are preparing for further escalation.
If Russia decides to again try to chase away NATO vessels inspecting a shadow fleet ship, Sweden has nearly 100 Gripen fighter jets on rapid response standby. These jets are equipped with advanced radar, electronic warfare systems, and extended range, making them a formidable asset for controlling Baltic airspace and intercepting Russian aircraft. Additionally, Sweden’s Navy is built and optimized for the Baltic Sea’s confined and shallow waters, and includes numerous patrol ships, corvettes, and submarines. Even before Sweden's NATO membership, its forces did not shy away from acting against Russia for violating their territorial waters or airspace, making them well-prepared for any scenario.
The Russian shadow fleet remains a critical component of Moscow’s sanctions evasion strategy. Comprised of aging oil tankers operating under false flags and opaque ownership, the fleet moves Russian Urals crude oil around the world while avoiding Western scrutiny. Over 50% of this fleet transits the Baltic Sea, using the key and most developed Russian ports with the highest available capacity, such as Primorsk and Ust-Luga, before moving toward customers primarily in Asia. The Baltic is ideal due to its hard-to-police maritime corridors and legal complexity, making enforcement difficult. This same factor also allows covert Russian operations, such as laying surveillance devices or damaging underwater infrastructure under the guise of commercial shipping. The sheer volume of this traffic poses both security and environmental risks to Sweden and its neighbors.
Overall, Sweden’s decision to take a firmer line marks a critical shift in regional security. As one of NATO’s newest and most strategically located members, Sweden's participation significantly boosts the alliance’s capability to police the Baltic Sea. By enforcing new inspection rules, Sweden joins a coordinated effort already supported by Poland, Estonia, and Finland to limit Russia’s operational freedom in the region. [short by ± 200 char JdeB]

#SlavaUkraini ! #HeroyamSláva!
#Crush the #RussianTerroristState

from 1st of July #Swedish #CoastGuards will be allowed to control ships insurances even if they just are passing Swedish territorial waters, this is a way to limit the #shadowfleet of #nazi #russia movements in the #BalticSea
Ships that refuses to cooperate are assumed to be part of the #sanctioned fleet.

Source: svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/sverige

This can cause an issue as there are waters between #Sweden and #Denmark where the territorial waters touch each other.

SVT Nyheter · Sverige skärper kontroller av ryska skuggflottanRegeringen ska skärpa kontrollerna av utländska fartyg i Östersjön.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Zelensky had to remind Trump peace talks already underway during call with EU leaders — For war-weary Europe, Trump-Putin call yet another signal to wake up — Trump doesn’t know how to deal with gangsters — US lets Ukraine down, once again — Because of Russia, my child understood fear early … and more

activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025