Greenpeace Activists Mark Shadow Tanker As ‘Risk’ In Protest Off Denmark

Greenpeace activists have carried out a protest against a sanctioned shadow chemical tanker, Prosperity, off the coast of Denmark, painting the word “RISK” in large yellow letters on its hull while it was underway.

The protest was aimed at drawing attention to the environmental hazards posed by aging tankers transporting Russian oil, as the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears.

A team of 15 Greenpeace members from Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland, and Ukraine took part in the operation.

Using at least one rigid high-speed boat, they managed to reach the tanker, spray-painting the warning sign while others held banners with messages like “Oil Kills.”

Prosperity is a 40,000-deadweight-ton (dwt) chemical tanker built in 2006. Previously named NS Pride, it was operated by Russia’s state-owned Sovcomflot before sanctions were imposed to disrupt Russian oil shipments.

In early 2024, the vessel was reflagged to Gabon, and by November, it changed its identity again, registering under the Barbados flag.

According to Greenpeace, Prosperity left the Russian port of Primorsk on February 8 with 40,000 metric tons of oil and is currently sailing toward Aliaga, Turkey. The group reported that it was one of four shadow tankers that transited Danish waters on February 12.

Greenpeace said that Prosperity is among the vessels recently added to the U.S. sanctions list in January 2025. The ship’s official owner is listed as Helios Oceanway Limited, a company based in Seychelles, but Greenpeace pointed out that the real owners remain unidentified.

The vessel is managed by Fornax Ship Management, a Dubai-based company sanctioned by the U.S. for allegedly supporting Sovcomflot.

The organisation also raised concerns that the tanker is operating without internationally recognised Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance, which covers oil spills. This lack of insurance adds to the potential risks associated with shadow fleet operations.

Greenpeace criticised Denmark and the European Union for failing to take sufficient measures against the shadow fleet.

The organisation stated that while there have been many political promises, actual actions have been minimal, allowing these old, rusting vessels to continue carrying Russian oil through European waters.

A Greenpeace campaign manager stressed that each of these shadow tankers represents a potential oil spill disaster, endangering marine life, coastal ecosystems, and seabirds.

The organisation is urging the EU to increase the number of vessels on its sanctions list. Currently, only 79 ships have been sanctioned, with 52 being crude oil tankers.

Reference: Tradewinds

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