Russian oil vessel disguised as a foreign ship navigates into sea regions governed by Ireland
The Russian tanker, The Blue, is on its way to Port Said in Egypt, expected to enter the Suez Canal before delivering its cargo to India. However, its journey through the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) has raised concerns due to its questionable practices and potential sanctions evasion.
The Blue, listed by Greenpeace as posing a specific threat to the maritime environment in Europe, travelled through the Baltic Sea, turned north and sailed around the British Isles, then turned south and began sailing down Ireland's west coast. This circuitous and inefficient route is an apparent attempt to avoid sailing through the English channel where UK authorities have stepped up monitoring of sanctioned Russian oil tankers.
The Blue picked up thousands of tons of sanctioned crude oil from a Russian port near St Petersburg and is considered part of Russia's shadow fleet, a collection of hundreds of vessels used to smuggle sanctioned oil through European waters. The increase in these shadow fleet vessels in Irish-controlled waters is primarily due to Russia's effort to circumvent EU and US sanctions targeting the export of Russian oil, which funds its war effort in Ukraine.
These ships, often old, under-maintained, and lacking proper insurance, operate covertly by using "flags of convenience" from countries with lax oversight, falsifying documentation to obscure the origin and pricing of their cargo. This shadow fleet passage through Ireland’s EEZ has surged as Russia exploits gaps in enforcement among EU states, allowing these vessels to slip through maritime monitoring and international restrictions.
The Irish Coast Guard has instituted specific measures to monitor shadow fleet vessels in the Irish EEZ. However, experts believe this is due to the limited capabilities of the State to track and inspect such vessels. Ships sailing under false registrations have no way to obtain insurance or safety certificates, raising concerns about the Blue's seaworthiness. The Blue was placed under UK sanctions last May and became subject to EU sanctions citing its "irregular high-risk shipping practices".
The Blue attracted particular attention from authorities due to its designation as a false-flagged vessel, falsely claiming to be registered in the African country of Benin. This practice is not uncommon among shadow fleet vessels, aiming to evade detection and enforcement.
Russia's foreign intelligence service claimed Britain is planning to conduct an act of sabotage at sea, for which they will frame the Russian shadow fleet. However, the Irish authorities have not released any official statement regarding this claim.
The continued transit of sanctioned vessels through Ireland's strategically important EEZ is particularly concerning from a security and environmental perspective. More than 70 of the vessels passing through Irish waters were named on EU and US sanctions lists, reflecting their sanctioned status and Russia’s use of maritime routes around Ireland to evade restrictions. Experts highlight inconsistent enforcement across EU member states, with calls for Ireland and others to enhance monitoring and enforcement to close loopholes exploited by these shadow fleets.
The Blue, a tanker under UK and EU sanctions for its irregular high-risk shipping practices, is navigating through Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), raising concerns about its potential involvement in Russian politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice, specifically evading sanctions and questionable activities. The increasing presence of shadow fleet vessels like the Blue in Irish-controlled waters, due to Russia's efforts to bypass EU and US sanctions, is a matter of ongoing concern for political and environmental experts.
