Pevkur at the meeting of Nordic-Baltic ministers of defence: Russia’s Achilles heel is its oil industry and shadow fleet

The meeting of Nordic-Baltic ministers of defence held in Helsinki on Wednesday and Thursday focused on the activities of Russia's shadow fleet and continued support for Ukraine.

'Russia's oil industry and exports, which are sustained by its shadow fleet, are among the most important pillars of Russia's war economy. Preventing this activity both in the Baltic Sea and beyond the Danish straits is the quickest way to put pressure on Russia to end the war,' said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur. According to him, imposing restrictions on the shadow fleet is important not only in terms of security, but also in terms of environmental protection and the protection of critical infrastructure.

In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russia's oil industry, destroying more than 20% of Russia's oil refining capacity.

'Impeding Russia's shadow fleet is not a task that lies solely with the Nordic-Baltic countries - it needs to be done before the shadow fleet reaches the Baltic Sea. Therefore, it is encouraging to see France and other allies becoming increasingly active in reining in Russia's shadow fleet,' Pevkur added.

The meeting also discussed further support for Ukraine, including the recent €500 million support package put together in Nordic-Baltic cooperation.

'I am pleased that one of these aid packages has been created through Nordic-Baltic cooperation, with Estonia contributing €10 million,' Pevkur emphasised.

The Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) is a joint initiative by NATO and the United States, through which allies fund military aid to Ukraine via the United States. The initiative was announced last summer by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US President Donald Trump.

Photos can be found here: Põhjala-Balti kaitseministrite kohtumine Helsingis (12.-13.11.2025) | Flickr

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