Sweden has detained the sanctioned tanker “Flora 1” of the Russian shadow fleet, suspected of an oil spill in the Baltic Sea.
This was reported by the Swedish Coast Guard.
The prosecutorʼs office found out during the investigation that the tanker was on the EU sanctions list. A surveillance aircraft discovered an oil spill east of the island of Gotland — at that time the spill was 12 km long.
The vessel, which was sailing from a port in the Gulf of Finland and was flying an obscure flag and heading for an unknown destination, was brought to a stop near the town of Ystad by the Swedish Coast Guard with 24 crew members on board.
The seizure operation was carried out in conjunction with the police. This is the first time a sanctioned tanker has spilled oil in Swedenʼs exclusive economic zone. The spill could not be contained and it entered the ocean.
The Flora 1 tanker is part of the Russian shadow fleet. The vessel specializes in circumventing oil embargoes and price cap policies by such means as disabling AIS and transshipment of oil at sea near Greece.
During 2025–2026, sanctions were imposed against the vessel and its captain by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the EU, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Ukraine.
Despite the ban, the tanker continues to call at the ports of St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga, Primorsk, and Tuapse, and also makes flights to Brazil, Turkey, and Gibraltar.
What is known about the Russian shadow fleet?
In early December 2022, the G7 members, as well as Australia and the EU, imposed price caps on Russian oil, setting a maximum price of $60 per barrel. In January 2026, the European Union reported a reduction in the price of Russian oil to $44.1 per barrel from February 1, 2026.
To circumvent oil sanctions, Russia has begun to form a shadow fleet. This is a fleet of old tankers that turn off their beacons so that they cannot be seen by tracking systems. They are operated mostly by the Russian state company “Suchkomflot”.
With its help, the Russian Federation transports an estimated 1.7 million barrels of oil per day, which brings large profits to the Kremlin, which directs them to the war in Ukraine.
Author: Veronika Dovhanyuk
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