Tankers from Russia’s “shadow fleet” circumventing European sanctions navigated through Denmark’s waters at a rate of almost one a day in 2025, data compiled by the Danish Maritime Authority showed yesterday.

“In 2025, there were 292 voyages with EU sanction-designated tankers in Danish waters,” the authority said in an email to AFP.

Russia has reportedly built up a flotilla of old oil tankers of opaque ownership to get around sanctions imposed by the European Union, as well as the United States and the G7 group of nations, over Moscow’s 2022 all-out invasion of Ukraine.

The sanctions, aimed at limiting Moscow’s revenues used to pursue its war, have shut out many tankers carrying Russian oil from Western insurance and shipping systems.

Sailing from the Gulf of Finland, through the Baltic Sea and into Danish waters, the ageing and poorly-maintained “shadow fleet” tankers mainly transport crude oil as well as refined products such as gasoline and diesel, raising concerns about the risk of an oil spill.

The size and movements of the “shadow fleet” have been hard to pin down, but thanks to the EU sanctions list, Danish authorities were in 2025 able to monitor and register the ships turning up in its waters.

The EU lists 598 vessels that are banned from European ports and maritime services.

“The Danish authorities are closely monitoring ships in Danish waters” and “also cooperate closely with like-minded countries in the Baltic Sea region,” the Maritime Authority said.

“In addition, a number of concrete measures have been taken to strengthen maritime safety and the protection of the marine environment and seafarers.”