Swedish coast guard boards tanker suspected of Baltic Sea oil spill

The Swedish Coast Guard has boarded a tanker vessel suspected of causing a 12-kilometre oil spill in the Baltic Sea, the agency announced Friday. The ship, Flora 1, was intercepted south of Ystad amid concerns over its unclear flag status and presence on an EU sanctions list.

Coast Guard aircraft first detected the oil slick—stretching over 12 kilometres—east of Gotland on Thursday. Early Friday, authorities, assisted by police, boarded the vessel as it travelled from a port in the Gulf of Finland. The ship is now being detained on suspicion of environmental crimes.

“This is a result of our reinforced maritime surveillance due to the deteriorated security situation in the Baltic Sea region,” said Daniel Stenling, deputy operations chief at the Coast Guard, in a statement. He noted the vessel’s “various ambiguities” beyond the spill allegations, including its sanctions-listed status, which may lead to additional criminal suspicions as the investigation proceeds.

A preliminary inquiry has been launched by prosecutors. The Coast Guard has not disclosed further details about the ship’s origin, cargo, or the nature of its sanctions listing.