Russian Warship Orders Greenpeace Activists To Stay Away From Sanctioned Oil Tanker In Baltic Sea
A Russian Navy corvette ordered a Greenpeace team to stay away from a sanctioned oil tanker carrying Russian crude through the Baltic Sea on June 30, according to the environmental group.
The incident took place during a monitoring mission in Germany’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and highlighted the security surrounding Russia’s oil exports through European waters. The mission involved Greenpeace activists from Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Ukraine, along with members of the German Bundestag, the European Parliament, and journalists.
Monitoring Mission Highlights Security Surrounding Russian Oil Exports
The mission was documenting the passage of the Panamanian-flagged tanker Kira K, which Greenpeace identifies as part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” used to transport Russian oil despite Western sanctions. According to Greenpeace Nordic’s head of investigations, Maik Marahrens, the German coast guard vessel Bayreuth had reached the monitoring area when the Russian Steregushchiy-class corvette Soobrazitelny (hull number 531) approached at high speed from the east.
Marahrens said the Russian warship sent a radio message saying, “Here speaks Russian war ship 531, stay away from the Kira K.” He said the corvette had not been escorting the tanker from the start of its voyage but quickly moved toward it after the monitoring operation began.
Shadow Fleet Tankers Increase Presence In Baltic Sea
Greenpeace said Kira K was carrying more than 100,000 metric tons of Russian crude oil through European waters. The group said the oil had been loaded at Russia’s Baltic export terminals. While one Greenpeace statement said the cargo was loaded at Ust-Luga, vessel tracking data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence showed the tanker left Primorsk on June 28 before continuing through the Baltic Sea toward the Danish Straits.
Greenpeace said the tanker is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, a group of ships used to export Russian oil despite Western sanctions. According to Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (HUR), Kira K has previously carried Russian crude from Baltic ports to India and other countries. The agency also said the vessel has sometimes switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS), which broadcasts a ship’s identity, location, course, and speed.
Sanctions And Enforcement
Shipping analytics firm Lloyd’s List has reported that the tanker is regularly used for ship-to-ship oil transfers. The tanker has been sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ukraine. Ukraine also sanctioned the vessel’s captain in February 2026.
Greenpeace said the German coast guard ensured navigational safety during the mission. Despite receiving the Russian warning through the coast guard, the activists completed their documentation of both the tanker and the Russian warship. Marahrens said the incident showed the level of military involvement around Russia’s shadow fleet operations in the Baltic Sea.
Greenpeace Calls For Strengthened Monitoring And Enforcement
Greenpeace Ukraine Director Nataliia Gozak said the incident showed that Russia was prepared to use naval vessels to accompany ships linked to its shadow fleet near European Union waters. The organization also said shadow fleet tankers are increasingly sailing along Germany’s Baltic coast. Between March and June 2026, Greenpeace recorded 42 out of 136 tankers passing near the island of Rügen, while 31 vessels entered Germany’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters. Greenpeace said no tankers carrying Russian oil were recorded in the area last year.
Greenpeace has called on Baltic Sea countries to strengthen monitoring of shadow fleet vessels and enforce sanctions more effectively. Earlier this year, Estonian authorities reported what they described as the first known case of a Russian civilian tanker carrying a mounted heavy machine gun while passing through the Gulf of Finland. The vessel, Gazprom’s LNG tanker Marshal Vasilevsky, was photographed by an Estonian border guard surveillance aircraft in early May.
References: united24media, militarnyi
Original Article: Russian Warship Orders Greenpeace Activists To Stay Away From Sanctioned Oil Tanker In Baltic Sea — Marineinsight