Finland says Russia has begun escorting shadow tankers with warships

Russia has started using military escorts for shadow fleet tankers in the Gulf of Finland, Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen said, according to gCaptain. The outlet describes it as a tactical shift that followed Russian fighter jet airspace violations near Porvoo and an attempt by Estonia to stop a Russia-bound tanker suspected of breaching Western sanctions. Häkkänen called Russia an aggressive and dangerous neighbour to all of Europe. gCaptain also notes that the European Commission had made insurance reporting mandatory for ships in EU waters.

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