Topic
shadow fleet
Trade New registries emerge for shadow fleet as Russia becomes dominant flag state
Russia has become the leading flag state for the sanctioned shadow fleet, with over 213 tankers now flying its flag, according to maritime risk firm Windward. New registries in Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, and Oman are attracting sanctioned vessels as Western enforcement intensifies. Equatorial Guinea's registry shows governance gaps, while Cameroon remains the second-largest flag despite expelling vessels.
Logistics France fines shadow fleet tanker owner €1m over false Cameroon flag
French prosecutors fined the owner of shadow fleet tanker Tagor €1 million after the vessel was detained in the Atlantic for using a false Cameroon flag. The owner admitted guilt and has agreed to obtain a lawful flag. The case underscores heightened enforcement against shadow fleet operations, with France intercepting at least five such tankers in the past year.
Logistics Seized Tanker Smyrtos Tests Limits of Shadow Fleet Enforcement as Russia Warns UK on Cargo Sale
The UK's seizure of the shadow fleet tanker Smyrtos has prompted Russia to threaten legal action if Britain sells the 100,000-tonne crude cargo. The June 14 boarding in the English Channel marks a shift from passive sanctions to direct interdiction. France has also intercepted another Russia-linked tanker, the Deliver, near Sicily, escalating European enforcement efforts.
Logistics France Boards Another Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Off Sicily
French navy boarded the tanker Deliver, sailing under Cameroonian flag from Primorsk, off Sicily on Tuesday. President Macron announced the interception, the fifth French operation against Russia's shadow fleet, highlighting Europe's campaign to enforce oil sanctions and prevent war financing.
Logistics Troubled Shadow VLCC Era Resurfaces Under Comoros Flag, Heading to Trinidad for Possible Scrapping
The shadow VLCC Era, a 2002-built tanker with a history of Iranian oil smuggling and a US Coast Guard chase, has resurfaced under the Comoros flag with a destination of Chaguaramas, Trinidad & Tobago. Its ownership by Global Marketing Systems and management by Blue Whale Maritime, a firm active in demolition voyages, signals a likely end-of-life scrapping. The vessel's former master pleaded guilty to failing to obey a US Coast Guard order.
Logistics UK sanctions four LNG carriers as first direct strike on Russia's shadow fleet
The UK has become the first country to directly sanction Russia's LNG shadow fleet, adding four elderly LNG carriers to a broader package of 27 tankers. The move targets vessels acquired from a Middle Eastern shipowner and now used in Russian LNG trades, with Windward estimating Russia's LNG shadow fleet at around 23 vessels. Compliance teams are advised to monitor ownership changes and trading patterns as Western jurisdictions align ahead of EU measures in 2027.
Logistics Moscow's Shadow Fleet: A Secret Network of Watchmen
An investigation reveals a network of Russian watchmen aboard tankers carrying sanctioned oil, ensuring compliance and evasion of Western authorities. These individuals, often with military backgrounds, play a crucial role in Russia's shadow fleet operations.