Greece blocks route for ships carrying Russian oil

By extending the naval exercises, Greece continues to obstruct the passage and transshipment of oil from the Russian Federation near its coast.

How reports publication “Oil and Capital”*, The naval exercises are taking place in the Gulf of Laconia, which often serves as a site for ship-to-ship transfers of Russian oil. Bloomberg notes that this is not the first time Greece has extended naval exercises, and they prevent tankers carrying oil from Russia from passing along its coastline.

This time The exercises started in May and were extended for two months last Monday.. As the agency notes, they are initially aimed against ship-to-ship oil transfers from supposedly old tankers near the Greek coast. This poses a threat to the environment, Athens claims. De facto, this is an attempt stop the transportation of Russian oil above the price ceiling of $60 set by the G7 countries.

According to ship tracking systems cited by Bloomberg, there has been no transshipment in the waters since May 4, while a ban on movement in the Gulf came into force. However, oil transshipment has moved closer to Africa – Egypt and West African countries, and has continued near Malta. And oil products are still being transshipped near Greece, between restricted water areas where exercises are taking place.

Before the introduction of European sanctions, Greece was one of the major points of reception and transit of Russian raw materials, and continued to be so even after the European embargo and price ceiling for third countries. Brussels made claims to Athens, but they explained that they could not influence the process – the transshipment was carried out by private companies and in open waters. Military exercises appear to have proven a convenient way to restrict the movement of tankers.

Let us remind you, Earlier, Denmark, Sweden and Finland demanded that ships carrying oil from Russia be banned from passing through the Baltic Sea under the same pretext of environmental damage from old tankers. And the day before it became known that Britain assembles coalition in Europe against shadow fleet with Russian oilhowever, for now there is an agreement to track and exchange information about such vessels.

*Oil and Capital is a leading analytical journal of the oil and gas industry in Russia and neighboring countries. Published since 1994.

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