A smaller oil tanker traveling in the waters of coastal Hordaland county, Norway. The bridge of the ship bears a large "No Smoking" sign. The petrochemical industry makes up a sizable percentage of Norway's GDP.

The United Kingdom and EU to Strengthen Inspections of Russian Oil Ships

The United Kingdom and several European Union countries are planning to enhance inspections of ships transporting Russian oil as part of a joint initiative, according to Bloomberg.

UK has proposed to EU states to coordinate actions concerning Russia’s «shadow fleet» of ships. The plan is expected to be approved during a meeting of the European political community on July 18.

Participants will share intelligence on the Russian fleet and develop a strategy to address potential risks posed by these ships and their intermediaries.

There is a consideration of imposing sanctions against a wider range of tankers from the «shadow fleet» with ties to Russian interests, as per an anonymous source cited by Bloomberg.