German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has issued a warning about the “decrepit Russian shadow fleet” of ships, citing recent damage to undersea cables in Europe. Almost every month, ships are damaging important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, with crews dragging anchors across the seabed for no apparent reason.
Baerbock believes that multiple incidents occurring in recent months is unlikely to be a coincidence and has called for tougher sanctions against Russia and greater investment in national security. The European Union (EU) has taken aim at Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which refers to ships used by Russia to circumvent sanctions, such as selling oil.
The EU suspects that the damage to undersea cables may have been an act of sabotage, with one ship, the Eagle S, a Cook Islands-flagged oil tanker, detained as part of the investigation. Over 50 Russian-owned ships are currently subject to EU sanctions, and Baerbock stated that they are used by Russia to finance its illegal war in Ukraine.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/german-foreign-minister-warns-of-russian-shadow-fleet/a-71174876