Swedish Coast Guard boarded the sanctioned tanker Flora 1 suspected of causing a 12-km long mineral oil spill east of Gotland in the Baltic Sea on April 2-3, 2026, leading to a criminal environmental investigation.

On April 2-3, 2026, the Swedish Coast Guard's maritime surveillance aircraft discovered a mineral oil spill over 12 kilometers long east of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. The sanctioned tanker Flora 1, traveling from a Finnish Gulf port with an unclear destination and an ambiguous flag status, was identified as the suspected source. The Coast Guard boarded the ship early on April 3 and directed it to anchor outside Ystad in collaboration with the Police Authority. The vessel carries 24 crew members and is loaded with oil. The Attorney General leads a preliminary investigation into suspected environmental crimes. This incident marks the first known case linking an EU-sanctioned ship to an environmental spill. The spill cannot be combated and is now part of the sea. The spill occurred in Sweden's exclusive economic zone, where Swedish authorities have the mandate to intervene. This operation reflects enhanced maritime surveillance driven by deteriorating security in the Baltic region.