In front of a bank of screens on the boat’s bridge, the Swedish coastguard Jan Erik Antonsson shows on a live map on a laptop how many vessels of Russia’s “shadow fleet” there are in the area. “These green symbols are the shadow fleet,” he says. More than a dozen green triangles representing shadow fleet vessels pop up around the coastline of southern Sweden alone.

 

Every day hundreds of shadow fleet ships – unregulated ageing tankers from around the world in varying states of repair carrying oil from Russia to states including China and India – are moving through a relatively narrow passage in the Baltic.

 

Some shadow ships are understood to be accompanied by Russian military vessels, others have planes following their route from above to make sure they get to their intended destination.

 

‘There are hundreds in the Baltic’: tracking Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers

 

Peter Holgersson (left) and Jan Erik Antonsson look out for shadow fleet vessels from the bridge of the coastguard vessel. Photograph: Josefine Stenersen/The Guardian© Photograph: Josefine Stenersen/The Guardian

The Europeans should grow some balls and seize these ships. 

Just now, Mike_Hunt said:

The Europeans should grow some balls and seize these ships. 

On what legal grounds?

3 minutes ago, simon43 said:

On what legal grounds?

There is your problem.  Putin is at with Europe and the Europeans looks for any excuse to take no action.