Latest news with #Überwachung
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EU prepares sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet, German FM says
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has announced stronger surveillance and additional sanctions targeting Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" following suspected sabotage of underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, Die Zeit reported on May 17. "The threat has intensified over recent months," Wadephul said. "Severed cables, disrupted signals, and suspicious vessels are of serious concern to us." Recently, a series of incidents involved severed cables and disrupted signals in the Baltic Sea region. While U.S. and European intelligence officials have suggested some of the damage may have been accidental, some senior officials, argue that repeated disruptions cannot be explained by "poor seamanship" alone. Wadephul said Germany and its allies are responding to hybrid threats in the Baltic region with increased patrols and renewed pressure on Russia's covert shipping operations. "Russia threatens all of us in the Baltic region," he said. "We as residents, NATO and the EU are facing hybrid threats with all our might, including further patrol." The so-called shadow fleet consists of oil tankers and other cargo ships used by Russia to circumvent Western sanctions, particularly in transporting oil. In recent months, suspected acts of sabotage linked to this fleet have drawn attention to vulnerabilities in undersea cables and pipelines, prompting intensified monitoring of maritime infrastructure. Calling the fleet a "direct security threat," Wadephul said the European Union will impose fresh sanctions on vessels enabling Russia to bypass restrictions. "This also helps Ukraine, because the shadow fleet moves oil every day that Russia sells around the sanctions," he added. On May 14, EU ambassadors agreed on the bloc's 17th package of sanctions against Russia, primarily targeting its shadow fleet of oil tankers. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the move, insisting it would "keep the pressure high on the Kremlin." But outside the EU bubble, critics see it as another incremental move that fails to match the urgency of the moment, and behind closed doors, even EU officials acknowledge the package was watered down during negotiations. The 17th EU package with Russia sanctions will be formally adopted on May 20 at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels. Read also: From spy rings to arson — Russia's sabotage across Europe continues unpunished We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU to impose new sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet, says Germany's foreign ministry
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has announced stepped-up surveillance after suspicious activity involving Russia's shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea. Source: German newspaper Zeit, citing Wadephul in an interview with the German media, as reported by European Pravda Details: Wadephul noted that "the security situation has continued to escalate in recent months". "We are very concerned about severed cables, disrupted signals and suspicious ships," the German foreign minister stressed. He therefore announced increased patrols and new sanctions targeting the shadow fleet Moscow uses to bypass existing restrictions. "As neighbours, as NATO and as the EU, we are doing everything we can to counter hybrid threats, including through additional patrols," he emphasised. "Russia poses a threat to all of us in the Baltic Sea region." Wadephul described Russia's shadow fleet as a serious security threat and said the EU will "directly impose new sanctions" on the vessels Moscow uses to circumvent restrictions. "This also helps Ukraine, because the shadow fleet transports oil every day, which Russia sells bypassing sanctions," the German foreign minister added. Background: A few days ago, the Estonian Navy attempted to stop the Jaguar tanker as it passed through international waters in the Gulf of Finland, heading towards the port of Primorsk. The vessel is believed to be part of Russia's shadow fleet. The tanker's crew reportedly refused to comply with instructions from Estonian border guards, but the vessel eventually left Estonian economic waters. Notably, the tanker is on the UK sanctions list. In response to Estonia's actions, Russia dispatched a fighter jet that, according to the Estonian military, violated the country's airspace. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that the incident shows that Russia is ready to defend its shadow fleet. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
