Russia is actively increasing the capacity of its shadow fleet to ensure the transportation of oil despite international sanctions. This is stated in the investigation "Shadow fleet of the Russian Federation is increasing capacity, despite Western sanctions: list of vessels".
As noted Anatolii Amelin, co-founder and director of economic programs of the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, in the past two weeks alone, the russian shadow fleet brought in an additional EUR 2.6 billion to finance the war against Ukraine. “At least 21 of the 72 tankers that have been sanctioned by the U.S., the EU and the UK have resumed transporting Russian oil since April 2024 (Bloomberg). Most of the cargoes with crude oil were destined for China, about a third were delivered to India. The first tankers were loaded in Novorossiysk, but the last cargoes were collected in almost all Russian export ports," emphasizes Amelin.
The documents at the disposal of the publication contain a complete list of vessels that are part of russia's shadow fleet.
They testify to the use of complex schemes to disguise ownership.
Most tankers sail under the "flags of convenience" of Panama, Palau or Gabon, which allows them to avoid international regulation. Some vessels regularly change their names and registration to hide their ties to the russian federation and reduce the attention of regulatory authorities and insurers.
For example, one of these vessels is the tanker JUMBO (IMO 9290335) — Suezmax type, capable of transporting large volumes of oil. The ship flies the flag of Gabon. According to VesselFinder, on October 14, 2024, JUMBO arrived at anchorage in Port Said, Egypt at 01:54 UTC, preparing to transit the Suez Canal. However, the further route is not indicated in the AIS system, which may indicate an attempt to hide the final destination.
If the JUMBO passes the Suez Canal, it can deliver oil to Red Sea, Persian Gulf or Indian Ocean ports. If the tanker remains in the Mediterranean Sea, it is possible to visit strategically important ports for russia, for example, Tartus in Syria, where the russian naval base is located.
JUMBO has already called at the ports of Ust-Luga in russia and Sidi Kerir in Egypt, which confirms its role in the transportation of russian oil. These routes demonstrate that the tanker is part of a network of shadow fleets that russia actively uses to circumvent sanctions and secure oil exports.
There are many such "shadow" tankers in russia, and their number will continue to grow. This shows that the existing sanctions are not enough for a complete blockade of russian oil exports.
According to intelligence gathered by the KSE, a significant number of these vessels are owned and operated by a number of shell companies in India, Mauritius, the UAE and other jurisdictions. These companies are known to be ultimately controlled by Tahir Garaev – the founder of 2Rivers (formerly Coral Energy) – and Etibar Eyyub.
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