Large clusters of Russian cargo and tanker ships clog the Gulf of Finland

Maritime-traffic monitoring reveals that about 150 vessels, split between 65 oil tankers and 85 cargo ships, have gathered in multiple dense clusters across the Gulf of Finland, awaiting access to Russian ports such as Ust-Luga, St. Petersburg and Primorsk. Six principal waiting areas have formed, with one large zone east of the Helsinki-Tallinn line holding 46 ships over a 50-kilometre stretch. Many of the vessels are listed by Ukrainian authorities as potentially involved in illicit arms, stolen Ukrainian commodities or sanction evasion.

The congestion has grown since September, adding smaller waiting zones near Seiskari Island and Kotlin Island. Officials note that while the traffic is higher than usual, such fluctuations are normal and do not presently require special actions from the Finnish maritime guard. The surge coincides with rerouted grain shipments from the Black Sea to Baltic terminals after security issues forced reductions at Black Sea coal terminals.