As Europe grapples with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a new front has emerged in the unfolding conflict – the so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports. Journalists from The Update Desk have gained exclusive access to the frontlines of this covert battle, offering a rare glimpse into the cat-and-mouse game playing out across the Baltic Sea.
Out on the choppy waters, Swedish coastguard officers radio a nearby, sanctioned oil tanker, seeking to gather information. Through the crackle of static, a crew member reluctantly shares the vessel’s insurance details, flag state and last port of call – Suez, Egypt. “I think this ship will go up to Russia and get oil,” says Swedish investigator Jonatan Tholin, underscoring the evasive tactics employed by Russia’s “shadow fleet.”
This shadowy armada, comprising hundreds of tankers, has become a thorn in the side of European authorities. Driven by record sanctions and tighter enforcement, the number of falsely flagged ships globally has more than doubled this year to over 450, most of them tankers, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) database.
The BBC’s investigation has tracked one such vessel, the tanker Unity, which has sailed under a dizzying array of names and flags, including Singapore, the Marshall Islands, Panama, Russia and Gambia. Its most recent journey saw it sail through the North Sea and Baltic, passing countries like Sweden and Estonia, before anchoring outside the major Russian oil port of Ust-Luga.
“There’s no secret made about it,” says Commodore Ivo Värk, the head of Estonia’s navy. He has witnessed dozens of such vessels passing through the Gulf of Finland this year, a sharp increase from the one or two they used to see annually.
While politicians talk of tougher action, navy and coastguard officers point to the limitations of their powers. The right of innocent passage remains a cornerstone of maritime law, and stateless vessels technically are not entitled to it. Detaining such ships remains a relatively rare event, with the fear of escalation and concerns over commercial retaliation tempering more aggressive approaches.
“Every day in the Baltic, there’s suspicious activity,” a NATO official tells the BBC, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We don’t want to be cowboys and jumping on ships. The act of monitoring ships is a deterrent in itself.”
As Europe steps up its efforts to curb Russia’s sanctions-busting tactics, the “dark fleet is getting darker,” warns Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a senior maritime intelligence analyst at Windward AI. “You can literally see the international rules-based order crumbling through the sanctions-circumventing tactics of these vessels.”
The stakes are high, both for the environment and security, as the battle for control of the seas continues to unfold.
