Russia's Shadow Fleet: The Dangerous Tanker Network Threatening Global Waters
13 days ago
- #Sanctions Evasion
- #Maritime Security
- #Shadow Fleet
- Russia's 'Shadow Fleet' operates openly, posing economic and ecological risks by using old, poorly maintained tankers.
- The fleet evades sanctions via opaque registrations and transshipment through hubs like Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
- It functions as an irregular warfare tool, transferring environmental liability and undermining maritime law enforcement.
- Over 75% of Shadow Fleet vessels are past their service life, increasing the risk of technical failures and oil spills.
- The Baltic and North Sea are particularly vulnerable due to dense subsea infrastructure and narrow, high-traffic waterways.
- Shadow Fleet tankers often lack verifiable insurance, leaving cleanup and compensation costs to affected states.
- The fleet's operations intersect with Iranian activities and threaten critical ecosystems, including Arctic waters.
- Regulatory responses remain reactive, with inconsistent enforcement and gaps in real-time insurance verification.
- Recommendations include targeting enabling infrastructure like registries and insurers, and closing legal loopholes.
- The Shadow Fleet has evolved into a durable logistics model, leveraging legal gaps to shift risk onto others.