EU to step up pressure on Russia's shadow fleet

EU to increase pressure on Russia's «shadow fleet» after incident in Gulf of Finland

The European Union intends to increase pressure on the so-called «shadow fleet» of Russia, which is used for hybrid attacks against European countries. This was stated by the head of European diplomacy Kaya Kallas, commenting on another incident in the Gulf of Finland.

What happened

In the Gulf of Finland, there were The submarine communication cable is damaged, connecting the Finland and Estonia. The circumstances of the incident are currently being investigated, but the incident is already being considered in a broader context of russia's hybrid activities against European critical infrastructure.

Callas statement

According to Callas, the Russian «shadow fleet» is not only a tool for circumventing sanctions, but also means of pressure and destabilisation, which can be used to sabotage maritime infrastructure, including communications cables and energy facilities.

She emphasised that the EU is considering additional restrictive measures, The aim is to strengthen shipping controls and coordination between member states to protect critical infrastructure.

Context.

In recent years, the Baltic and North Seas have seen an increase in incidents involving damage to cables and pipelines. European countries are increasingly linking such incidents to actions of Russian or affiliated vessels, The so-called «shadow fleet» is a part of the so-called "shadow fleet".