The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (FIS) has received data on the Kremlin's plans to increase the number of tankers transporting oil under the flag of the aggressor country, the russian federation. This decision is dictated by increasingly frequent precedents of detentions of russian "shadow fleet" tankers by European countries and the United States of America. This is stated in the intelligence report.
Also, as intelligence officers suggest, this may indicate russia's interaction with Iran in the context of coordinating the safe passage of "shadow fleet" vessels through the zone of military conflict in the Middle East.
The intelligence service notes that the Federal Autonomous Institution "russian Maritime Register of Shipping" (under EU sanctions) plans to identify and inspect about 80 tankers in the near future with the aim of re-registering them.
The distribution of tankers by country of registration of shipowners is as follows: Seychelles - 35 vessels, China - 23 vessels, Azerbaijan - 13 vessels and Samoa - 8 vessels. In addition, there are tankers belonging to shipowners registered in Vietnam, India, the UAE and the Marshall Islands.
"The increase in the "shadow fleet" under the russian flag automatically facilitates russia's task of introducing agents of the russian special services onto them for the further implementation of intelligence and sabotage activities against Western countries. This is especially relevant in the Baltic region, through which more than 40% of russian oil exports are provided," the FIS emphasizes.
It is emphasized that the registration of tankers under the russian flag finally "unties the hands" of the Kremlin in the context of using such vessels as a tool of hybrid threats for Europe and other Western countries.
The intelligence service reminds that this is exactly the method used by the Kremlin in January 2026 regarding the tanker "BELLA 1" (IMO 9230880), which was transporting oil in the interests of Iran and Venezuela. This "shadow fleet" vessel received russian registration immediately after it was discovered that it had been assigned a false flag of Guyana.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, there is a shortage of fiber optics in russia.
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