Shadow fleet tankers adopt new false flags to evade sanctions

shadow fleet tanker sanctions false ship registries maritime intelligence maritime security

Sanctioned tankers, often referred to as a ‘shadow fleet’, are adopting new tactics to evade international restrictions by using false maritime registries. According to data from maritime intelligence firm Windward, vessels linked to Russia have begun utilizing the flags of Syria and Myanmar as new identities.

Because neither Syria nor Myanmar maintains an international ship registry, any tanker operating under these flags is considered to be using a false registration. Windward reports that there are currently 580 ships in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) database with falsely reported flags, marking a 23.4 percent increase from the 470 recorded at the end of 2025.

In the second quarter, 275 tankers in international trade were identified using false registries, compared to 290 in the first quarter. Approximately 90 percent of the tankers employing these methods are currently under Western sanctions. Other countries whose identities have been used for false registrations include Nicaragua, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Guinea, Madagascar, and the Netherlands Antilles. Kyrgyzstan also recently notified the IMO that it currently has no authorized companies or individuals permitted to register ships under its flag.

Entities

International Maritime Organization · Myanmar · Syria · Windward

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] Approximately 90 percent of tankers using false registries are under Western sanctions. otvoreno.me · bokanews.me
[● 2 SOURCES] The number of ships with falsely reported flags in the IMO database has reached 580. otvoreno.me · bokanews.me
[● 2 SOURCES] Sanctioned tankers are using the flags of Syria and Myanmar as new false identities. otvoreno.me · bokanews.me
[● 2 SOURCES] The number of vessels with false flags increased by 23.4 percent from the end of 2025 compared to the current count. otvoreno.me · bokanews.me
[● 2 SOURCES] Neither Syria nor Myanmar possesses an international ship registry. otvoreno.me · bokanews.me
[● 2 SOURCES] The number of identified false registries worldwide has risen to 22. otvoreno.me · bokanews.me

Sources

Lažne zastave na tankerima: Nova taktika ruske flote [otvoreno.me]

4 days ago

“Flota u sjeni” mijenja taktiku: Otkrivene nove lažne zastave na tankerima [bokanews.me]

4 days ago