Overview

• An investigation reports at least five Russian-linked tankers left oil traces in European waters over the past year, including two already under UK sanctions when they polluted.
• The European Union has blacklisted 444 ships and the United Kingdom has sanctioned 450 tankers, as Denmark increases controls on vessels transiting its waters.
• Satellite imagery from SkyTruth and shipping data from Kpler substantiate the tankers’ routes and the recorded contamination incidents.
• Lloyd’s List Intelligence estimates the sanctions-evasion network at roughly 1,300 vessels linked to repeated spills and damage to subsea infrastructure in European waters.
• Officials warn of escalating environmental risks, and CREA estimates a single major cleanup could cost about €1.4 billion if ship owners cannot be identified.