“This Is a Russian Warship—Stay Away: ” Russian Corvette Forces Greenpeace Back From a Shadow Fleet Tanker

A Russian Navy corvette intervened during a Greenpeace monitoring mission in the Baltic Sea, ordering activists to stay away from the sanctioned oil tanker Kira K, which was transporting Russian crude through European waters, according to Greenpeace on June 30.

The incident took place in Germany’s exclusive economic zone during a joint observation mission involving Greenpeace activists, members of the German Bundestag and European Parliament, and journalists.

According to Greenpeace Nordic’s head of investigations, Maik Marahrens, the Russian Steregushchiy-class corvette Soobrazitelny (hull number 531) approached at high speed after German coast guard vessel Bayreuth had arrived near the monitoring group documenting the tanker’s passage through the Fehmarn Belt.

Marahrens said the Russian corvette hailed the monitoring team over radio, warning: “Here speaks Russian war ship 531, stay away from the Kira K.” He said the encounter illustrated the level of military involvement surrounding Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.

“Today I had the opportunity to witness firsthand how much tension the shadow fleet creates in the Baltic Sea. … The corvette did not escort Kira K from the beginning but came to its assistance at high speed from the east. We knew Russian naval vessels were operating in the area for exactly these purposes.”

Greenpeace said Kira K, sailing under the Panamanian flag, was transporting Russian crude loaded at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga while transiting European waters. The environmental organization identifies the vessel as part of Russia’s shadow fleet used to export oil despite Western sanctions.

Maritime tracking data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence shows that Kira K departed Russia’s Baltic oil port of Primorsk on June 28 and had reached the Danish straits by the time of publication.

The tanker is already under sanctions imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ukraine.

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According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, the vessel has been used to transport Russian crude from Baltic ports to India and other third countries, at times operating with its Automatic Identification System switched off.

Greenpeace said the German coast guard maintained navigational safety during the monitoring operation. After receiving the Russian warning through the coast guard, the activists completed their documentation of both the tanker and the accompanying Russian warship.

Earlier, Estonian authorities documented what may be the first known case of a Russian civilian tanker carrying a mounted heavy machine gun while transiting the Gulf of Finland. The vessel, identified as Gazprom’s LNG tanker Marshal Vasilevsky, was photographed by an Estonian border guard surveillance aircraft in early May.

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