Greenpeace activists had a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin — and Western politicians — in its latest protest against shadow fleet tankers plying Baltic Sea routes.
A team from the green group reached the newly-sanctioned 40,000-dwt MR tanker Prosperity (built 2006) off Denmark this week, and painted “RISK!” in the hull in bright yellow letters.
The Barbados-flagged ship had left the Russian port of Primorsk on 10 February, heading west “for order”, AIS data showed.
The vessel is operated by Fornax Ship Management in Dubai, which was sanctioned by the US on 10 January, for allegedly supporting Russian state shipowner Sovcomflot.
The tanker itself was sanctioned on the same date under the name NS Pride, and listed by the US as under Sovcomflot control.
Equasis lists a change of name in November last year.
Greenpeace said: “As we approach the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the transport of sanctioned Russian oil continues through the Baltic Sea and up through Danish waters.”
“Greenpeace is now sending a clear message to politicians to put more shadow tankers on the sanctions list to minimise the risk of an environmental disaster,” the group added.
A group of 15 protesters from Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland and Ukraine reached the tanker, just south of Lolland.
“We have painted RISK! on the side of this tanker to draw attention to the huge environmental risk that all the old rusty Russian shadow tankers pose to nature and the marine environment. We cannot just sit and wait for an accident to happen that leaves our coasts and birds smeared in oil,” Danish Greenpeace activist Nicoline Hagen said.
On Wednesday alone, Denmark was “visited” by four shadow fleet tankers, Greenpeace added.
“There have been many promises and slightly fewer actual actions from Denmark and the EU, and therefore the shadow fleet continues unabated to transport Russian oil to the world market through the narrow Danish waters,” Greenpeace campaign manager Sune Scheller said.
“Each of the rusty oil tankers poses a potential risk of an oil disaster. The transport is a serious danger to our marine environment and coasts. It is a threat to seabirds, porpoises and the entire ecosystem,” he added.
Greenpeace said the Prosperity is heading for Aliaga in Turkey with 40,000 tonnes of oil.
The official owner is listed as Helios Oceanway in the Seychelles.
The ship is not on the European Union’s sanctions list.(Copyright)
