Overview
- Swedish authorities freed the EU‑sanctioned tanker Flora 1 after saying they lacked evidence it caused a 12‑kilometer oil slick in the Baltic Sea.
- Coast Guard crews had boarded and detained the vessel after a surveillance flight spotted mineral oil east of Gotland, triggering a preliminary environmental crime inquiry.
- Investigators confirmed the ship is sailing under Cameroon’s flag, clearing up uncertainty about its registration during the inspection.
- Flora 1 has been listed for carrying Russian oil using high‑risk tactics such as frequent name and flag changes, switching off tracking, and ship‑to‑ship transfers.
- The tanker was carrying oil with 24 crew on board and headed to Santos, Brazil, a case that renews concern over cleanup liability if shadow‑fleet vessels foul the ecologically sensitive Baltic.