By Matt Underwood UK targets 135 Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tankers with fresh sanctions, a move that’s certainly grabbing attention. It’s encouraging to see action being taken to address this complex issue, and the aim is clear: to further squeeze Russia’s economic lifeline. The impact of such sanctions is, of course, a subject of debate, but the intent to disrupt the flow of funds that support the war effort is undeniable.
If we’re talking about really putting the pressure on, the idea of seizing these tankers comes up. The UK has a long naval tradition, so one can imagine the sort of resources they could bring to bear if they decided to deploy their forces in an attempt to seize these ships. While the complexities of such an operation are significant, the concept of actively preventing these tankers from operating certainly ups the ante.
And the idea of actively engaging the “shadow fleet” certainly does bring some more aggressive tactics into consideration. The mention of a West Baltic Squadron, for example, suggests a focus on regional cooperation and the combined strength that such a force could wield. This could potentially involve a coalition of nations, acting in unison.
Of course, the more decisive options are also considered. Destroying these ships would obviously remove them from service, but the environmental and political implications of such actions need very careful consideration.
The conversation veers into the realm of more, shall we say, creative solutions. Suggestions include the use of anti-shipping missiles or limpet mines, which immediately raises the temperature of the discussion. However, these methods come with the potential for a whole host of negative consequences.
There are also some who suggest a different approach: seizing the cargo of these tankers. Then there’s the idea of taking the ships and sinking them in Russian waters to block ports. This draws parallels to historical tactics, as some users point out, with the idea of “block ships” designed to choke off enemy access to their ports.
But all these plans involve their own challenges, including what to do with the ships afterward, and the potentially enormous cost of dealing with the damaged vessels and the oil spills. The environmental risks of destroying a large oil tanker are simply immense.
The potential for significant geopolitical fallout also has to be carefully taken into consideration. It’s one thing to impose sanctions, but quite another to cross the line into active military intervention. The focus here has to be on limiting the impact on the environment and on escalating the conflict unnecessarily.
The use of drones is also discussed. Drones offer some obvious advantages in terms of surveillance and potentially even disrupting operations. They can monitor the movement of these tankers and potentially identify them.
There are many different views on this, and none of them is simple, but there is a general agreement that something needs to be done to prevent the ‘shadow fleet’ from supporting the ongoing conflict.