Denmark has announced tougher inspections of oil tankers, particularly aging and high-risk vessels linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” as part of a broader effort to protect the marine environment and address emerging security threats in northern European waters.
Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke said older ships pose “a particular risk to our marine environment,” prompting the government to extend environmental checks on tankers passing through Danish waters or anchoring at Skagen Red – one of the busiest anchorages between the North and Baltic Seas. The inspections will now include waste management, ballast water, fuel quality, emission controls, and certificate verification.
The Danish Maritime Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency will jointly conduct these checks, with the ability to board vessels even when they are anchored offshore. Data collected through the inspections may also be shared with international partners to help identify and sanction vessels connected to sanctions evasion or shadow operations.
The move follows growing European concern that some tankers are being used for more than oil transport. Danish pilots have reported seeing men in Russian Navy uniforms aboard certain vessels that do not appear on official crew lists, and recent drone incursions into airports and coastal zones have raised suspicions of links to shadow ships.
