At least 15 tankers of "shadow fleet" changed their flags to russian in hopes of avoiding detention - WSJ

At least fifteen tankers transporting sanctioned oil have changed their flag to the flag of the aggressor country russia after the US detained several vessels recently.

The American edition of The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported this with reference to the specialized newspaper Lloyd's List.

Lloyd's List editor-in-chief Richard Mead said that more than 15 tankers from the so-called "shadow fleet" have registered in russia.

"Transitioning to the Russian flag is a kind of way for the shadow fleet to protect itself from raids," Mead said.

Unnnamed lawyers and representatives of shipping companies told the WSJ that the owners of the tankers who abruptly changed their registration believed that the russian flag would help them avoid detention, as the United States would not dare to touch such vessels.

On January 7, the US military seized the Marinera tanker in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Shortly before that, the vessel, called Bella-1 and flying the flag of Guyana, changed its flag to the russian flag.

Russia even sent several warships, including a submarine, to meet the tanker. They were close to the Marinera when the US military boarded the vessel, but did nothing.

Since the beginning of December 2025, the United States has detained five tankers. Four of them were under sanctions. The latest was the Olina tanker with a cargo of Venezuelan oil.

We also wrote that the UK is preparing a legal framework that will allow the British military to detain shadow fleet vessels.