In the lead-up to Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s meeting with NATO allies in Helsinki on Tuesday, Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke has expressed concerns over the environmental risks posed by Russia’s shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea.
“The transportation of oil across the world’s oceans inherently carries high risks for the environment” Lemke told the Rheinische Post (Tuesday edition). “We have seen numerous instances, including in recent history, of oil tanker accidents with severe consequences for people, animals, and the environment in the affected seas, including coastal areas.”
Lemke, a Green Party politician, emphasized that the dilapidated Russian shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea exacerbates this problem and poses an additional risk to the marine environment and, consequently, to the well-being of all Baltic Sea border countries. “Russia is taking a risk by using the shadow fleet, which could severely damage the environment and tourism in the region” she said. “That’s why the federal government has been pushing, along with its EU partners, to impose consistent sanctions on the ships of the shadow fleet.”
In the case of the stranded ‘Eventin’ oil tanker, which is also linked to the shadow fleet, Lemke expressed gratitude for the expert work of the Havariekommando in Cuxhaven, saying that no environmental consequences are expected at this point.