Armed guards and naval ships: how Russia protects oil exports in the Baltic

Russia introduced measures to protect tankers carrying Russian oil from Baltic ports. This was reported Swedish Navynoting the appearance of armed guards on ships and the increased presence Russian Navy in the water area Baltic Sea, Gulf of Finland and the North Sea.

As stated by the head of the operational department Swedish Navy Marko Petkovic in an interview with SVT Nyheter, the Swedish side has confirmed information about the presence of military personnel or representatives of private security agencies on board some tankers.

“We have seen and received information that there are armed persons on individual vessels of the so-called shadow fleet.”he noted.

According to Petkovic, Russian warships began to regularly deploy in specially designated areas adjacent to the main shipping corridors. Their task, according to sources, is to statically monitor and track the movement of tankers.

The Russian naval presence, according to the Swedish side, has become permanent and noticeable in a large part of the Baltic region. Similar activity is also recorded in the North Sea.

However, the Swedish authorities do not consider what is happening to be an immediate threat. Deputy Head of Operations Department Swedish Coast Guard Daniel Stenling said the situation was under control.

“We have a complete picture of what is happening and see no reason for alarm”he emphasized.

Increased security for tankers followed a series of incidents in 2025. In particular, the authorities Estonia previously detained a sanctioned tanker in the Gulf of Finland, but were forced to release it after eliminating technical faults. An attempt to detain the next vessel ended in failure after the appearance of Russian military aircraft.

A separate episode occurred off the coast France in the Bay of Biscay, where the tanker was also temporarily detained but subsequently released.

Against the backdrop of these events, a number of European countries – led by Great Britain and the Baltic states – formed a coalition to counter the so-called shadow fleetwhich is used to export Russian oil under sanctions restrictions. Such vessels include tankers with an opaque ownership structure involved in the transportation of sanctioned oil.

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