AFP has obtained statistics from the Danish Maritime Authority on the passage of tankers under EU sanctions for transporting Russian oil through the straits exiting the Baltic Sea. According to the agency, 292 such voyages were recorded in the calendar year 2025.
Russia exports most of its crude oil and, to a lesser extent, petroleum products. This oil is often sold at prices above the price caps set by Western countries in an attempt to reduce the revenue to the Russian budget that finances its aggression against Ukraine.
Since January, the price cap mechanism has been dynamic: the price must be 15% lower than the market price of Russian Urals crude. On February 1, the cap was lowered to $44.1 per barrel. Providing any services related to the transportation of Russian crude at a higher price is prohibited in Western countries.
In response, Russia has built up a fleet of tankers, often old, worn out and with opaque owners, ready to transport oil at prices above the price cap. These ships regularly end up on sanctions lists; the EU list alone includes 598 such tankers.
The Danish Maritime Authority told AFP that it was "closely monitoring ships in Danish waters" and "cooperates closely with countries with similar interests in the Baltic Sea region".
Navigation in the Danish Straits is regulated by the Copenhagen Conventions of 1857. In their standard interpretation, they prohibit Denmark from stopping ships passing through the straits.