On April 3, the Swedish Coast Guard stopped the Flora 1 tanker, a vessel suspected of causing an oil spill near the island of Gotland. The tanker is on the EU and Ukrainian sanctions lists and, according to the GUR, is part of the Russian shadow fleet.
The Swedish Coast Guard reported the tanker's detention.
It is noted that Coast Guard aircraft discovered the oil spill on April 2 – at that time its size was more than 12 km.
“We respond when we detect spills. This is a result of the increased maritime surveillance we are carrying out due to the deteriorating security situation in the Baltic region,” said Daniel Stanling, deputy chief of operations for the Coast Guard.
The Flora 1 vessel departed from a port in the Gulf of Finland, its final destination is unknown. In addition, the tanker has an uncertain legal status.
In 2025, the tanker was placed on Ukrainian sanctions lists due to the export of Russian oil — the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine refers it to the Russian Federation's shadow fleet.
“During the period of the G7+ oil embargo and the price cap policy on Russian oil and petroleum products, the tanker was involved in the export of Russian oil, in particular from Russian ports in the Baltic and Black Seas,” the GUR data states.
The situation was commented on by the Swedish Minister of Civil Defense, Karl-Oskar Bolin, who noted that the ship was sailing under a foreign flag.
“The Russian shadow fleet, consisting of older tankers with insufficient insurance that circumvent sanctions, poses a significant threat to security and the environment. The government is taking this incident seriously, even though this time it is not a large-scale oil spill,” the report said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga stressed that the incident “underscores the serious risks posed by Russia's shadow troops.” He also noted that Ukraine fully supports Sweden's efforts to uphold international law, enforce sanctions, and protect the Baltic Sea.
The Swedish prosecutor's office is currently conducting a pre-trial investigation on suspicion of an environmental crime. The vessel was taken to the city of Ystad, and during the inspection, law enforcement officers determined that the tanker was loaded with oil and had 24 crew members on board.
The Coast Guard added that it was not possible to contain the spill, but there is currently no immediate threat of oil reaching the shore. The Swedish government continues to monitor the situation and is ready to take appropriate measures if necessary.