According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Russian shadow fleet of oil tankers would be the launch base for the drones sighted in several European cities in recent days.
Although there is no proof of the Russian nationality of the aircraft, Zelensky, fearing an escalation in the hybrid maritime war, stated that Ukrainian intelligence indicates that the Russian network of old and opaque oil tankers, which already circumvent Western sanctions, is now being used not only to transport fossil fuels, but also to act as launch platforms for drones above European waters.
“This is further evidence that the Baltic Sea and other seas should be closed to Russian oil tankers, at least for the shadow fleet,” he said. “This is particularly important: sanctions must hit Russian energy trade and the entire infrastructure of the Russian oil fleet hard,” he added, calling for a tough response from both European capitals and naval authorities.
Zelensky’s statements come in a context of increasing drone incursions into NATO airspace, with unidentified drones sighted over Poland, Romania, Denmark, and the Baltic region. In the last two years, ships linked to Russia have also been accused of damaging some submarine infrastructure in the Baltic.
