« In the Baltic Sea area, Russia threatens us all » – DiePresse.com

After alleged sabotage files by Russia’s shadow fleet of cables and lines in the Baltic Sea, the German Foreign Minister Johann WadePhul has announced greater surveillance. « We, as a resort, NATO and EU, oppose all the power of hybrid threats, even with other patrols, » said the CDU politician of the newspaper « Welt am Sonntag ». « Russia threatens us all in the Baltic Sea area, » he warned.

The shadow fleet means tankers and other cargo ships, which Russia uses to avoid sanctions, for example during oil transport. In the past few months, alleged sabotage files through the shadow fleet of cables and lines in the Baltic Sea have caused a sensation. Since then, the infrastructure lying on the sea floor has been increasingly monitored.

Security risk in the Baltic Sea area

WadePhul continued to say that the threat situation had increased further and further in recent months. « Cut -cut cables, disturbed signals and suspicious ships are very worried. » He described the shadow fleet as an absolute security risk. The EU will prove these ships directly with further sanctions. « This also helps Ukraine, because the shadow fleet transports oil every day that sells Russia past sanctions. »

The EU’s 17th package with sanctions against Russia is to be formally decided on Tuesday at a foreign minister meeting in Brussels. Among other things, it provides for a further tightening of the procedure against the Russian shadow fleet for the transport of oil and oil products.

According to the Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, around 84 percent of Russian crude oil exports run through the Baltic Sea via the shadow fleet. This corresponds to more than a third of the Russian budget revenue. (APA/dpa)