The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense published data on the Russian shadow tanker fleet on the War & Sanctions portal.
Points of attention
- The DIU has uncovered alarming data on the Russian shadow tanker fleet, revealing captains who sidestep international regulations and sanctions, creating environmental hazards.
- Government agencies are taking measures to curb the actions of the captains and impose sanctions on both them and the crewing companies that support their illicit practices.
- The list of incidents involving the Russian shadowy tanker fleet, led by complicit captains, raises concerns about the obstruction of key maritime logistical arteries worldwide.
The DIU named the captains of the Russian shadow fleet
As noted, the list includes vessels that transported sanctioned Russian oil from the Arctic and served the Sakhalin-1, Sakhalin-2, Sakhalin-3, Prirazlomne, and Novy Port projects.
In total, the War & Sanctions portal has published data on 89 captains, some of whom are under sanctions.
Captains are the top brass on a seagoing vessel and have complete authority on board. They have information about the owners of shadow tankers and their technical condition, as well as the vessel's cargo and its value.
The intelligence community emphasizes that, contrary to international rules, industry standards, and established sanctions restrictions, these captains are resorting to deceptive and high-risk practices.
In particular, they disable and manipulate the AIS or LRIT system, use spoofing, enter false information into route logs, and perform STS transmissions.
Such actions by the captains help the aggressor circumvent restrictions imposed by more than 30 countries on Russian energy resources and create a threat of environmental disaster for almost every country in the world, including those that still consider Russia their trading partner.
The list of incidents involving the shadowy tanker fleet, led by Russian captains, runs into the dozens. Every key maritime logistical artery in the world is at risk of being blocked for long periods of time due to the deliberate violations committed by the captains of the shadowy tanker fleet of the Russian Federation. They may refuse to commit illegal acts, but they choose to be complicit.
The GUR says that the maritime industry in general and crewing companies in particular can stop this. Captains who agreed to command the Russian shadow fleet should lose the opportunity to work on ships in the future, and sanctions should be applied to crewing companies that facilitate their employment.
