On April 25, 2025, the European Commission adopted an amendment to the Vessel Monitoring Directive requiring all vessels, including those merely transiting European Union waters without entering ports, to provide proof of insurance. This move aims to crack down on the 'shadow fleet,' a sizable group of often uninsured and aging vessels linked to Russia, posing environmental and security risks. Over 1,000 vessels have been sanctioned, with more than 800 lacking confirmed insurance, and these vessels average 21 years old, much older than the global fleet average. The EU stresses that this measure enhances coastal states' preparedness and monitoring capabilities. In response to rising threats such as near disasters caused by Russia’s aging tankers and attacks on subsea infrastructure, NATO and Baltic states have run the Baltic Sentry naval operation since January to counter subsea attacks. Denmark is conducting port state controls on high-risk tankers anchoring near Skagen, while the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force launched the Nordic Warden operation using AI to assess maritime threats. Additionally, Estonia detained an 18-year-old tanker for flying a false flag, the first action of its kind against Russia's shadow fleet in the Baltic region.

On April 25, 2025, the European Commission adopted an amendment to the Vessel Monitoring Directive requiring all vessels, including those merely transiting European Union waters without entering ports, to provide proof of insurance. This move aims to crack down on the 'shadow fleet,' a sizable group of often uninsured and aging vessels linked to Russia, posing environmental and security risks. Over 1,000 vessels have been sanctioned, with more than 800 lacking confirmed insurance, and these vessels average 21 years old, much older than the global fleet average. The EU stresses that this measure enhances coastal states' preparedness and monitoring capabilities. In response to rising threats such as near disasters caused by Russia’s aging tankers and attacks on subsea infrastructure, NATO and Baltic states have run the Baltic Sentry naval operation since January to counter subsea attacks. Denmark is conducting port state controls on high-risk tankers anchoring near Skagen, while the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force launched the Nordic Warden operation using AI to assess maritime threats. Additionally, Estonia detained an 18-year-old tanker for flying a false flag, the first action of its kind against Russia's shadow fleet in the Baltic region.