Europe seizes Russian shadow ship, Russia deploys Wagner Group

The balance of power in the Baltic Sea is shifting as Russia’s shadow fleet faces mounting pressure from European enforcement. Sanctions and interceptions are steadily closing the corridors Moscow relied on to move oil and military-linked cargo. Rather than de-escalate, Russia is responding by placing Wagner mercenaries aboard these vessels, effectively militarising its merchant fleet. This move exposes how vulnerable the shadow fleet has become under sustained Western pressure. It also raises the risk of direct confrontations with Nato forces in heavily trafficked waters. What was meant to evade sanctions is now turning into a strategic liability for the Kremlin.

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