Madagascar notified the IMO after nine vessels presented documents implying Madagascan registration despite no international registry, as Windward data shows wider 2025 misuse of fraudulent flags.
Russia has warned the UK against joining European efforts to stop and inspect “shadow fleet” tankers carrying Russian crude, as London weighs joint enforcement with EU partners in nearby waters.
Italian financial police in Brindisi seized a Tuvalu-flagged bulk carrier loaded with black metal after uncovering a concealed Novorossiysk call, an AIS blackout and suspected falsified voyage documents.
Sanctioned shadow-fleet tanker Qendil has run aground near Bozcaada in the Aegean while in ballast, prompting a KEGM tug response. No casualties or pollution have been reported so far.
Sweden’s navy reports Russian uniformed, possibly armed personnel on shadow-fleet oil tankers in the Baltic, and notes Russia’s growing “grey” VLCC and suezmax fleets in the global tanker market.
A Comoros-flagged tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet has become the third vessel hit by a Ukrainian sea drone in the Black Sea, unsettling shipping and pushing up war-risk costs as Moscow issues new threats.
Two sanctioned Russian tankers were struck by Ukrainian naval drones off Turkey, forcing major rescue operations as both vessels caught fire. The incidents underscore rising risks around Russia’s shadow fleet.
The European Union has called on Greece to strengthen its actions against Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” used to export oil in defiance of Western sanctions. Speaking at a joint press
After briefly transmitting AIS data for three days, Iran’s tanker fleet has reverted to dark operations, highlighting continued sanctions evasion and global monitoring challenges.
