Wed, 19 Nov 2025

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 On the front line of Europe's standoff with Russia's sanction-busting shadow fleet

With Europe imposing sanctions on Moscow, there has been a growing network of vessels sailing without a valid flag from Russia through European waters.

* A growing network of "shadow" ships are sailing without a valid national flag, making it difficult for coastal countries to intervene in case of accidents.
* These vessels often have opaque ownership structures and frequently change their names or flags to avoid detection.
* The number of falsely flagged ships globally has more than doubled in the past year, with many of them involved in Russian oil exports.
* European politicians are trying to increase pressure on Russia by tightening sanctions and restricting service and port bans for these vessels.
* However, navy and coastguard officers point out that a country's power to act fades the further you go out to sea, and detaining ships can be a complex and sensitive issue.
* The risk of escalation and commercial retaliation is also a concern, with Russia briefly deploying a fighter jet when Estonia attempted to intercept a flagless tanker in May.
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