Sweden detains suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker in Baltic Sea

Prefer on Google by Lucy Pakhnyuk Swedish Coast Guard boarding the tanker Jin Hui, a vessel suspected of being part of Russia's shadow fleet, on May 3, 2026 in the Baltic Sea south of Trelleborg. (Swedish Coast Guard) Swedish authorities on May 3 boarded and seized a tanker in the Baltic Sea believed to be part of Russia's shadow fleet, the latest intervention targeting vessels suspected of evading sanctions and violating maritime law. "The Swedish Coast Guard, together with Swedish Police, has boarded the Jin Hui, a tanker sailing under a suspected false flag," the agency said in a statement . "A preliminary investigation is underway. The vessel is suspected of being in violation of maritime law due to a lack of seaworthiness." Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed the operation, describing it as part of a broader crackdown. "Earlier today, Swedish Coast Guard boarded another vessel in our territorial waters – the fifth intervention in a short period of time," he wrote on social media. "The vessel is suspected of being part of the Russian shadow fleet and for sailing under false flag. The vessel is included on the sanctions lists of the EU, the UK and Ukraine. We protect our waters." Coast guard officials said the case is the fifth such intervention in recent months and the third focused specifically on seaworthiness concerns. "Ships with suspected deficiencies in their seaworthiness continue to sail in Swedish waters. This is not acceptable. We have intervened before, now we are intervening again," said Daniel Stenling, Deputy Chief of Operations at the Swedish Coast Guard. Swedish authorities have detained vessels suspected of belonging to the shadow fleet multiple times this year, including in March when the coast guard took control of the Caffa and the Sea Owl . Russia uses its shadow fleet of aging, often underinsured tankers to bypass international sanctions on its oil trade. Western officials have also raised concerns that the vessels may be linked to broader Russian hybrid activities in Europe , including espionage and drone operations. Other European countries, including France , Germany, and Italy, have taken similar action against Russian-linked vessels in recent months as scrutiny of Moscow's maritime traffic has increased.