Over the past year, the world's largest group of shadow fleet tankers from Russia, Iran and Venezuela has formed off the coast of the Johor region in Malaysia, threatening a large-scale environmental disaster in the area.
Points of attention
- The shadow fleet of the Russian Federation, Iran, and Venezuela off the coast of Malaysia poses a significant threat of a large-scale environmental disaster, with recorded cases of oil spills linked to the Russian vessels.
- Southeast Asian maritime states must prioritize protection measures against potential environmental disasters caused by the shadow fleet, emphasizing the critical need for monitoring and regulation of these clandestine operations.
- Investigations have revealed oil leaks associated with the shadow fleet in multiple countries globally, underlining the urgent necessity for concerted international efforts to address the environmental risks posed by these activities.
- The shadow fleet transports oil from Iran, Venezuela, and Russia to countries like China and India, often disguising the origin of the oil and raising concerns about environmental hazards worldwide.
- Experts are sounding the alarm about the ecological disaster threatening Malaysia due to the activities of the shadow fleet, highlighting the importance of addressing the risks associated with these old vessels with dubious safety histories.
What is known about the location of the tankers of the shadow fleet of the Russian Federation and Iran near Malaysia
The group of Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan shadow fleet vessels is the largest such group in the world, according to Jeffrey Payette, the US State Department's chief energy official.
These ships transport oil from Iran, Venezuela and Russia to China, India and other countries.
In particular, Iranian oil bound for China is often disguised as Malaysian oil.
It is known that several dangerous incidents have already occurred during the last year, which made experts sound the alarm because of the threat of a large-scale environmental disaster.
For the maritime states of Southeast Asia, it is important to consider the risks associated with the operations of this shadow fleet. These are old vessels, often with dubious insurance and an unclear safety history, Geoffrey Payette emphasizes.
Payette met with authorities and officials in Singapore during his visit, but had no direct talks with the Malaysian government.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told local media earlier this year that there was "no evidence" that vessels linked to Iran were transhipping oil near the country.
What is known about the danger of the shadow fleet of the Russian Federation for the transportation of oil
According to Politico journalists and the SourceMaterial investigative journalist group, at least 9 cases of oil spills have been recorded due to Russia's use of so-called "shadow fleet" tankers to transport oil to bypass Western sanctions.
It is noted that since 2021, at least 9 cases of oil spills by vessels of the shadow fleet of the Russian Federation have been recorded.
The journalists analyzed satellite images from the non-governmental organization SkyTruth and shipping data from the market analysis company Lloyd's List and the commodity platform Kpler.
Investigators discovered oil leaks linked to the "shadow fleet" of the Russian Federation in various parts of the world — from Thailand to Vietnam, Italy and Mexico.
