The Danish government yesterday announced it is tightening environmental and safety inspections of oil tankers—especially older, high-risk ships—passing through its waters or anchoring at Skagen Red, a key anchorage at the gateway between the Baltic and North Seas.
Environment minister Magnus Heunicke said older vessels pose particular threats to Denmark’s marine environment, underlining the need for stricter oversight. The rules now extend to basic environmental standards: waste management, ballast water, emissions, fuel quality, and verifying certificates.
Industry minister Morten Bødskov was even more blunt, saying: “We must put an end to Putin’s war machine. This also applies to the Russian shadow fleet.” Bødskov described many of these ships as “old and worn-out”.
In the wake of recent drone incursions into its airports, likely from shadow vessels, Denmark is flipping policy on vessels that formerly avoided port calls by anchoring outside Skagen, often beyond traditional inspection triggers. Now, authorities will board and inspect ships that “cannot be considered on a peaceful voyage,” including ones at anchor.
Data collected through these inspections could be shared with international partners to identify and sanction specific shadow fleet vessels, the Danish government said yesterday.
The Boracay, an 18-year-old Russian-linked tanker, made headlines last week when it was seized by French commandos off Brest. The ship is tipped to have been involved in a recent drone incursion into Copenhagen airport.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was the first to accuse Russia of using shadow tankers to “launch and control drones over European cities,” a warning that appears increasingly prescient.
Moreover, the crew onboard certain shadow tankers are beginning to cause concern, with one Danish pilot telling Foreign Policy magazine last week: “We’re seeing uniformed personnel carrying the camouflage uniform of the Russian Navy.” The uniformed officers do not appear on the official crew lists.
In Copenhagen last week, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk declared: “We need to put a stop to these illusions. No, this is war. A new type of war, very complicated, but this is war.” He said Poland had already shot down drones in its own skies and warned incidents were happening “almost every day” around critical infrastructure.
French president Emmanuel Macron – speaking at the same summit last week – said: “A very significant share of Russia’s war financing comes from these shadow fleet tankers. Cutting them off is not an option, it is a necessity.” Macron asserted that between “30 to 40 %” of Russia’s war effort is financed via operations of the shadow fleet.
