Ukrainian defence minister welcomes Sweden’s crackdown on Russian shadow fleet

Ukraine’s defence minister has praised Sweden’s recent boarding of vessels suspected of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet, calling it “a great help” in countering Moscow’s sanctions evasion, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports.

Speaking during a visit to Sweden on Thursday, Mykhailo Fedorov thanked authorities for targeting the shadow fleet—vessels believed to be transporting Russian oil in violation of international sanctions.

“First of all, thank you for your help with the shadow fleet,” Fedorov told SVT, adding that the conflict in the Middle East was enabling Russia to earn “at least $150 million a day,” funds he claimed were being funneled into the war in Ukraine.

Swedish authorities have boarded five vessels this year, all off the coast of Skåne. The most recent operation took place last Sunday, when the tanker Jin Hui was detained on suspicion of poor seaworthiness and falsified registration. Previous boardings followed similar patterns.

Sweden’s Defence Minister Pål Jonson confirmed the intensified efforts, stating: “Ukraine appreciates that Sweden has increased its activities. We’ve acted against four vessels in the past month alone. This is part of our countermeasures against Russia and its economy—if sanctions are violated, Sweden will respond.”

The shadow fleet’s traffic in the Baltic Sea has surged, with vessels suspected of helping Russia bypass oil sanctions. Swedish officials have described the volume of oil transport through the Øresund Strait as comparable to that of the Suez Canal.