The Danish government has announced stricter environmental supervision of ships anchoring at Skagen Red—one of the largest anchorages in the Nordic region and a key gateway to and from the Baltic Sea.
According to Denmark on October 6, the move comes amid increased activity by older vessels, including tankers transporting sanctioned Russian oil through Danish waters. Officials say these ships pose heightened risks to maritime safety and the marine environment.
“We know that there is a lot of traffic consisting of older ships sailing through Danish waters, and they pose a particular risk to our marine environment. That is why we are now tightening controls with very basic environmental rules so that we can take more effective and consistent action against tankers and the Russian shadow fleet,” said Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke.
Minister of Industry and Trade Morten Bødskov added that the decision is part of Denmark’s broader effort to undermine Russia’s war economy.
“We must put an end to Putin’s war machine. This also applies to the Russian shadow fleet. We are using all tools. We know from our safety checks at Skagen Red that among these ships there are old and worn-out vessels sailing around. That is why our authorities are now intensifying the controls so that we look after Denmark and Danish waters.”
Under the new measures, the Danish Maritime Authority and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency will conduct more frequent environmental inspections to ensure compliance with key regulations on waste management, ballast water, scrubber discharge, scrapping certification, and fuel standards.
Officials say the enhanced monitoring will help prevent pollution and strengthen enforcement against vessels that violate environmental protection rules while passing through or anchoring in Danish waters.
Earlier, the Russian cargo ship Lady R—sanctioned for its role in illegal arms transfers with North Korea—reemerged at North Korea’s northeastern port of Rason this week, marking its first appearance there in two months and likely signaling continued weapons shipments to Moscow.
-afea745942037ffd616e495505c25f0c.webp.webp)
Every day we fight Russian disinformation and bring reports directly from the frontlines. Your help makes us stronger.
Related articles