German push against Russian shadow fleet begins with tanker insurance checks

July 3, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

In a new enforcement effort that started on July 1, German authorities have begun stopping tankers passing through the country’s waters to check whether they carry valid insurance for oil spill damage.

According to the German Federal Foreign Office, the measure is one of a range of initiatives spearheaded by the European Union (EU) to push back against the Russian so-called ‘shadow’ (or ‘dark’) fleet as well as to improve the security of maritime transport and help preserve the marine environment.

As explained, the ships concerned are those journeying eastward via the Fehmarn Belt, a strait connecting the Bay of Kiel and the Bay of Mecklenburg in the western part of the Baltic Sea. Many of these tankers remain a mystery when it comes to insurance, the government has warned, as they typically bypass European ports and shun well-known insurance providers.

In a further blow to Russia’s shadow fleet, EU now requires all vessels to be insured

Authorities & Government

Due to this, the documents requested by German transport control centers are reportedly going to be examined by the Ship Safety Division. Should anomalies be discovered in the documentation, it is understood that this could lead to Europe-wide observation, measures imposed by the flag state and, if additional criteria are met, the inclusion of ships on the list of sanctioned vessels.

“Ascertaining the insurance status through the transport control centres helps us fill another gap in our view of the situation. The more complete the picture, the sooner we can cooperate with our partner countries in the Baltic Sea region to take appropriate measures, perhaps even leading to inclusion on the list of sanctioned vessels,” Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder commented.

Speaking further about the development, German Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul underlined: “The new questioning policy will help further intensify the coordination with our friends and partners in the region. Our objective is quite clear: to increase the pressure on the Russian shadow fleet and protect the Baltic Sea habitat.”

Ever since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the European Union has released 18 sanction packages aimed at curbing the operations of the former nation’s dark fleet. In the past six months, four packages have been unveiled. The fifteenth, which targeted 15 ships, was announced in December 2024.

It was followed by the 16th in February 2025, adding 42 new units and bringing the total number to 153, and then by the 17th sanctions package, which was described as the “largest G7 action against Russia so far.” It increased the number of blacklisted ships to 342.

View on Offshore-energy.

In June, the EU revealed the 18th package, which included 77 more vessels and rounded the total to 419.

For the first time ever, as part of these measures, EU officials also proposed a transaction ban for Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, meaning that European operators will no longer be able to directly or indirectly engage in any purchases regarding these pipelines.

Speaking about the measures, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated: “These vessels are a means to evade sanctions. With our listings, we severely constrain Russia’s options to export its oil through a shadow fleet. Finally, we introduce a ban on the import of refined products based on Russian crude oil. In this way, we want to prevent that some of the Russian crude oil reaches the EU market through the back door.”

On the basis of the efforts of individual EU countries, Sweden has made similar actions in recent months, having launched its own questioning policy in regards to insurance. Namely, at the beginning of June, the country’s government declared that, from July 1, 2025, control of foreign ships would be tightened by requiring them to provide insurance information as a way to counter the operations of the ‘dark fleet’.

The Swedish Coast Guard and the Swedish Maritime Administration were authorized to gather data not only from vessels calling at a port in Sweden but also from those merely passing through the country’s territorial waters.

Across the Atlantic, Panama, home to one of the most important waterways, has also targeted the dark fleet. Specifically, at the end of May this year, the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) bolstered its rules concerning ship-to-ship (STS) oil transfer operation requirements for tankers flying the country’s flag.

The regulation mandates all units flying the flag of Panama with a gross tonnage of 150 or more to notify the state at least 48 hours in advance of any planned STS operations.