Shadow fleet smuggles sanctioned oil across the high seas.

U.S. forces recently boarded and seized a Russia‑flagged tanker tied to covert shipping activity, and ship‑tracking services report a large 'shadow fleet' of aging tankers moving sanctioned oil by ship‑to‑ship transfers and frequent identity changes.

U.S. forces this week boarded and captured a Russia‑flagged tanker that had been using false names, in a move authorities described as part of stepped‑up enforcement against ships tied to smuggling sanctioned oil. Ship‑tracking services and maritime analysts say those actions spotlight a broader "shadow fleet"—an armada of older tankers used to move or store oil for Russia, Venezuela and Iran. Operators in the network employ measures to obscure cargo origin and ownership, and the fleet has grown since 2022 amid tighter sanctions. The dynamics have prompted more direct interdictions at sea while legal and regulatory responses continue to evolve. Key details: - U.S. forces boarded and seized a Russia‑flagged tanker south of Iceland; the ship had been sailing under false names and was not carrying oil at the time of capture. - Monitoring groups give different counts for the shadow fleet: TankerTrackers reports more than 1,470 vessels, while S&P Global identifies about 940, and Kpler estimates the fleet moved roughly 3.7 billion barrels in 2025 (about 6–7% of annual global crude flows). - Ships tied to the shadow fleet commonly change names and flags, register under so‑called flags of convenience, shift ownership through shell companies, and often lack access to Western insurance markets, increasing opacity and operational risk. Summary: The account underscores persistent difficulties enforcing sanctions at sea and the scale of commercial practices used to hide sanctioned oil shipments. Undetermined at this time.