Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543797
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 MARCH 2026 NEWS Russia's shadow fleet sails past Malta all the time. Here's why that's a concern WHEN an explosion rocked an LNG tanker in the central Medi- terranean earlier this week, Mal- ta's rescue authorities moved quickly to assist, even though the incident happened outside the country's search and rescue zone. But the episode also shone a light on a broader and largely invisible risk moving through the same waters: Russia's so- called 'shadow fleet' of oil tank- ers—a growing armada of aging vessels that experts warn pos- es serious environmental and maritime safety risks to Malta and the wider Mediterranean. A maritime emergency near Malta Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri told parliament on Wednesday that Malta's Res- cue Coordination Centre was alerted at 1:10pm on 3 March to a vessel in distress in the Mediterranean. The alert came after the Mos- cow Coordination Centre and the ship's company commu- nicated with the government about an emergency involving the vessel Arctic Metagaz. The coordinates provid- ed—34°17' North and 017°04' East—placed the incident in- side the Libyan Search and Rescue (SAR) region, making Libyan authorities responsible for coordinating the response. Still, Malta stepped in to assist. The Armed Forces of Malta issued an Urgent Marine In- formation Broadcast and dis- patched a King Air surveillance aircraft to verify the situation. The aircraft located the dis- tressed vessel at 3:58pm and later spotted a lifeboat with crew on board at 4:52pm. Acting on behalf of Libyan au- thorities, Malta's coordination centre requested assistance from the tanker Respect, which was 33 nautical miles away. All crew members were sub- sequently rescued and trans- ferred safely aboard Respect. Two of the rescued crew mem- bers later received medical as- sistance in Libya. Malta's aircraft remained on scene until the transfer was completed, while authorities continued monitoring the abandoned vessel. Although the emergency hap- pened outside Malta's SAR zone, Camilleri said it attract- ed significant public attention and required regular updates. He also confirmed that Prime Minister Robert Abela and the government briefed the Oppo- sition shortly after Malta was asked to assist. The ships passing Malta every day According to a Mediterrane- an maritime security expert who spoke to MaltaToday on condition of anonymity, ships belonging to Russia's 'shadow fleet' travel around Malta con- stantly. Authorities have been in- creasing their monitoring ca- pacity in recent years. Malta has invested in maritime screening systems to better identify high- risk vessels and to carry out proper due diligence on ships bunkering off the island. The concern is not just geo- political. It is environmental. Shadow fleet vessels are typi- cally older tankers, sometimes more than 20 years old, that would otherwise be nearing re- tirement. Many operate with- out proper Western insurance and with minimal regulatory oversight. If one of them were to suffer a serious accident in the Med- iterranean, the consequences could be severe. An oil spill close to Maltese waters could affect desalination plants that produce drinking water through reverse osmosis, as well as cooling systems con- nected to the country's energy infrastructure. The sanctions loophole at sea The shadow fleet emerged after sweeping sanctions were imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The European Union, the United States and G7 partners introduced restrictions target- ing key sectors of the Russian economy, including oil and gas, which account for roughly 60% of Russia's export earnings and about 40% of its government revenues. One goal was to limit the Kremlin's ability to finance its war. In response, Russia began as- sembling a network of vessels capable of transporting its oil outside Western oversight. The fleet uses ships with own- ership and insurance structures beyond EU and G7 jurisdic- tions, allowing them to con- tinue trading Russian oil with countries that have not joined the sanctions regime. According to research by the Kyiv School of Economics' KSE Institute, Russia has spent an estimated $10 billion building up this fleet. The ships often rely on flags of convenience from jurisdic- tions with weak enforcement standards, as well as complex ownership structures involving shell companies in offshore fi- nancial centres. To conceal the origin of car- go, vessels may also engage in ship-to-ship transfers, disable their tracking systems, trans- mit falsified location data, or otherwise obscure their move- ments. For countries like Malta, the biggest concern lies in what happens if one of these ships gets into trouble. Most of the global tanker fleet is insured through the Interna- tional Group of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Clubs — a network that covers more than 90% of global shipping and pro- vides financial protection for accidents, collisions, pollution, and environmental damage. But many shadow fleet vessels operate outside this system. Without recognised P&I in- surance, funds to address the consequences of a major spill may not be readily available. The Arctic Metagaz incident had minimal environmental consequences given the na- ture of the cargo it was carry- ing—liquefied petroleum gas. Nonetheless, it brought home a harsh reality for a small coun- try like Malta immersed at the centre of a major trading route—Russia's shadow fleet poses a security and environ- mental threat that cannot be ignored. NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt The Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz after it was struck by what Russian authorities say was a Ukrainian-operated maritime drone as it sailed in the central Mediterranean For countries like Malta, the biggest concern lies in what happens if one of these ships gets into trouble.