Moscow cautions against the Western move to curb its naval rights

Moscow has warned that any efforts to limit the navigational rights of Russian ships will be considered unfriendly and prompt a strong reaction. Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, made the statement in response to a Politico article.

Politico had reported on potential Western plans to restrict the navigation of Russia's so-called shadow fleet. This fleet refers to ships officially registered under various national flags but controlled by Russia to transport sanctioned oil, thus bypassing Western sanctions.

Due to environmental concerns, the plans would involve barring ships controlled by Russia from navigating through the straits near Denmark—the Oresund, Great Belt, Fehmarn Belt, and Little Belt. Furthermore, Western authorities might employ the MARSUR system to share better information, such as ship positions and identification data, which would help identify these vessels.

During a briefing on YouTube last Friday, Maria Zakharova responded to Politico's reports, stressing that ship passage through these straits is protected under the Copenhagen Treaty of 1857 and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, both of which ensure free passage of vessels. Zakharova condemned any attempts to alter international law.

The International Group of P&I Clubs has also recently addressed the "shadow fleet" issue, noting that the imposition of price caps on Russian oil has caused many ships to join this fleet for parallel trade.