Russian shadow fleet behind emissions worldwide

With scrap-worthy and uninsured ships flying false flags, the Russian "shadow fleet" is slipping under Western sanctions. The substandard vessels, which often transport oil, have already been behind several leaks, a Politico investigation reveals. Experts are now warning that a larger catastrophe is looming.

» Published: October 21 2024

Russian shadow fleet behind emissions worldwide
Photo: AP/TT

Share this article

A chilly March morning, the British coastguard discovered something unusual about ten miles from the Scottish coast: A dark spot stretching 23 kilometers out into the North Atlantic, reports Politico.

An internal analysis showed that the spot likely came from the tanker Innova, which was carrying a million barrels of sanctioned oil from Russia, en route to a refinery in India.

Innova, sailing under the Vietnamese flag, is approximately the same size as the Eiffel Tower and is one of hundreds of ships in the so-called shadow fleet.

"Ticking bomb"

An investigation by Politico and the non-profit journalism organization Source Material, using satellite images and shipping data, reveals at least nine cases where such ships have caused minor spills of potentially environmentally hazardous substances worldwide since 2021.

The fact that they often lack insurance due to sanctions makes it difficult to hold anyone accountable in the event of a larger spill. And experts warn that the risk is high:

It's a ticking time bomb, says Isaac Levi, an expert on shadow fleets and Russia, affiliated with the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea), to Politico.

The risk of these outdated ships being involved in an accident increases even more when they turn off their transponders or send out false positions, which is often reported to happen. Collisions then become harder to avoid.

Tip of the iceberg

The nine spills detected by the investigation only concern ships that had their transponder systems turned on and can thus be linked to the dark spots visible in satellite images.

Ships in the Russian shadow fleet, like Innova, are highly relevant ahead of further targeted sanctions from the EU.

Michelle Wiese Bockman, freight analyst at the British shipping newspaper Lloyd's List, tells Politico that the ships are designed to transport sanctioned oil as cheaply as possible, with no regard for conventional maritime standards.

I'm completely convinced that what you've discovered is the tip of the iceberg, she says.

Following the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU and the US, among others, have imposed sanctions on Russia, primarily targeting oil and gas.

Among others, the US and Canada have banned all imports of Russian oil and gas. The EU has introduced measures that will effectively stop 90 percent of imports, with some exceptions for Eastern European countries that have become dependent on pipelines from Russia.

Before the war, the EU bought nearly half of Russia's exported oil. Today, it's around five percent.

All sea-borne oil imports have been banned. In cooperation with G7, a price cap (60 dollars per barrel of crude oil) has been introduced, where ships carrying more expensive Russian oil are denied access to Western ports and insurance.

Since G7 introduced the price cap two years ago, Russia's shadow fleet is estimated to have transported crude oil worth approximately 1.1 billion kronor.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Hippopotamus Capsizes Boat in Ivory Coast: Eleven Missing
1 MIN READ

Hippopotamus Capsizes Boat in Ivory Coast: Eleven Missing

$1 Million Reward Offered for Capture of Armed Police Killer in Australia
1 MIN READ

$1 Million Reward Offered for Capture of Armed Police Killer in Australia

Gaza Toddler Shamm Finds New Hope with Treatment in Italy
2 MIN READ

Gaza Toddler Shamm Finds New Hope with Treatment in Italy

Russia Boosts Drone Production to 2,700 Monthly
1 MIN READ

Russia Boosts Drone Production to 2,700 Monthly

Hamas Threat to Israel: Analysts Say Eradication Unlikely
7 MIN READ

Hamas Threat to Israel: Analysts Say Eradication Unlikely

Thousands Gather in Milan to Honor Fashion Icon Giorgio Armani
1 MIN READ

Thousands Gather in Milan to Honor Fashion Icon Giorgio Armani

Zelensky Rejects Putin's Moscow Meeting Invitation
1 MIN READ

Zelensky Rejects Putin's Moscow Meeting Invitation

Israel Calls for Evacuation to Contested Humanitarian Zone in Gaza
2 MIN READ

Israel Calls for Evacuation to Contested Humanitarian Zone in Gaza

Norway Election Poll: Red-Greens Lead as Høyre Faces Historic Low
2 MIN READ

Norway Election Poll: Red-Greens Lead as Høyre Faces Historic Low

Large Shark Attack in Sydney Leaves Surfer Dead
1 MIN READ

Large Shark Attack in Sydney Leaves Surfer Dead

Europe Faces Autumn Crisis Amid Trump Tensions
3 MIN READ

Europe Faces Autumn Crisis Amid Trump Tensions

Trump Proposes Hosting Next G20 Summit at His Miami Golf Club
2 MIN READ

Trump Proposes Hosting Next G20 Summit at His Miami Golf Club

Serbian Police Clash with Protesters in Novi Sad Amid Election Demands
1 MIN READ

Serbian Police Clash with Protesters in Novi Sad Amid Election Demands

Trump Engages in Talks with Hamas for Israeli Hostage Release
1 MIN READ

Trump Engages in Talks with Hamas for Israeli Hostage Release

Trump Renames Defense Department to War Department
1 MIN READ

Trump Renames Defense Department to War Department

Lebanon Military Begins Plan to Disarm Hizbollah
1 MIN READ

Lebanon Military Begins Plan to Disarm Hizbollah

Eagle S Captain Denies Intentional Damage to Baltic Sea Cables
2 MIN READ

Eagle S Captain Denies Intentional Damage to Baltic Sea Cables

Trump Deploys 10 F-35 Fighter Jets to Puerto Rico Amid Drug War
2 MIN READ

Trump Deploys 10 F-35 Fighter Jets to Puerto Rico Amid Drug War

WHO Declares Mpox No Longer a Global Health Crisis
1 MIN READ

WHO Declares Mpox No Longer a Global Health Crisis

Sweden's Foreign Minister Meets Zelenskyj to Boost Pressure on Russia
1 MIN READ

Sweden's Foreign Minister Meets Zelenskyj to Boost Pressure on Russia