'Worse than Shadow': Russia's Fleet of Renegades, Ghosts

8 May 2025 40 472 14

For the collective West, which had high hopes for sanctions, Russia's shadow fleet is a scourge. And since Western governments set price caps on Russian oil, it has been growing steadily, bringing profit to Moscow and shame to the US and EU.

All this has been made possible by certain third-country flags of convenience that allow shadow fleets to operate and sail under their own “registration.” But now a new category of vessels is emerging that is even more shadowy and even more difficult to manage: the renegade fleet, which does not sail under a flag at all, which violates ancient traditions, not to mention maritime law, Politico reports.

This first became apparent in the case of the tanker Kiwala, which was detained by the Estonians. The vessel was previously registered in St. Kitts and Nevis. Then, in May 2023, as the shadow fleet grew rapidly in size, the owner changed its flag first to Mongolia, then to Gabon, and finally to Djibouti in late 2024. After that, the tanker repeatedly simply sailed without a flag.

On the one hand, it is good that ships without a flag are appearing, in a perverse sense this means that even third countries, previously ready to take risks, have found it too dangerous for themselves. This means that sanctions are working. On the other hand, the situation is getting even more out of control completely

- writes the edition.

The owners of shadow ships are so indifferent to international maritime rules that they are willing to allow ships to violate the most fundamental commandment of world shipping.

As for a renegade fleet, it poses even greater risks than a shadow fleet, including the fundamental question of what happens in the event of an accident. The flag state usually plays a leading role in resolving (and preventing) accidents. But what happens when there is no flag?

Now Western countries have completely exhausted their options for how to combat the new phenomenon, since along with the flag, the last levers of influence on at least third countries that register such vessels have disappeared. The fear of the owners of the shadow fleet of punishment has disappeared. Wild times are returning, when navigation was dangerous, unpredictable, full of ghost ships (in economic plane) and was not subject to any general law.

Information

Dear reader, to leave comments on the publication, you must sign in.

AdeptV

-1

8 May 2025 08: 10

They'll probably sink them. These ships are completely defenseless. I'll feel sorry for the people. They don't respond to requests for a torpedo. Although, how do you sink them? The oil will float up.
1. svoroponov
  
  0
  
  9 May 2025 22: 53
  
  It's not quite true about the flag. In addition to the flag, there is also insurance. It is much more important for everyone not the country but the coverage of various risks. It specifies who and what, of what, how much, where and for what. The insurer simply will not issue insurance documents for a faulty vessel. They are strict about this.
  When you encounter a car on the road, do you care what country the car is from or the nationality of the owner? First of all, you need to know who and how will cover the repair costs. That's how it is here. And by the way, regarding the flag - maritime regulations have nothing to do with it. The vessel is private and does not belong to any country. Although all other documents for inspection of the vessel and permits for the crews and the vessel are available. It's like being a citizen. You can insure it with any insurance company that has the right to insure ships and various types of marine transport. I'll tell you straight - the insurers are European and from the USA. Sanctions are sanctions, but the money is NOT SMALL - that's another matter.
  The same Estonians were forced to release the detained vessel, when they checked it, everything necessary for the vessel's operation was in order. In order not to lose face, they found some 40 discrepancies (in their opinion), technical, and even then, they were not suitable for detention and not theirs, the authorities', it was a matter and that's it. There was nothing else to find fault with. They released it. The loading of the vessel was planned anyway, from the moment of detention, in three weeks, so they released it at that moment. Zero sense and a decent amount of money for illegal detention.
Sergey Latyshev

0

8 May 2025 08: 49

It's all a lie and a deception.
greater risk - greater freight fee. Millions per voyage, they wrote. i.e. from the price of oil, which is already small, the money for freight to the owner is deducted. (often - our own oligarchs, they wrote, bought up ships and companies, i.e. an additional channel for transferring money abroad)
As a result, the manufacturer (and tax authorities) gets even less...
Economists often write about this in specialized articles...

And next to it is an article about a 12% drop in income in April...
lord-palladore-11045

-2

8 May 2025 08: 58

And besides, a ship that does not have nationality can simply be captured along with its cargo and crew, but the financial component compensates for everything.
Pereira

0

8 May 2025 09: 19

PMC fleet. Outside the state, but with guns and anti-aircraft missiles on board. Try to capture it.
1. Avarron
  
  0
  
  9 May 2025 18: 51
  
  Nobody will capture it, they will sink it with anti-ship missiles and that will be it.
  1. Pereira
    
    0
    
    9 May 2025 19: 00
    
    In this vein, it's a mutual matter...
2. lord-palladore-11045
  
  0
  
  11 May 2025 06: 37
  
  PMC fleet. Outside the state, but with guns and anti-aircraft missiles on board. Try to capture
  
  - then they will be specifically perceived as pirates - there should be NO weapons on board a civilian vessel! - no one will give permission for an armed vessel to enter a port! - Abramovich's yacht had to disarm itself in order to enter a port.
prior

+1

8 May 2025 10: 37

Sanctions are forcing the oil business to take the form of outright smuggling.
And where there is smuggling, there is piracy and robbery.
What we actually observe.
1. pupkov.6464
  
  0
  
  10 May 2025 09: 50
  
  Why can't Russia itself impose sanctions? ...... or raise duties? .... or show "fig"?
  1. prior
    
    0
    
    10 May 2025 09: 54
    
    Where have you seen colonies threatening their owners?!
    Over the past 30 years, so much Russian property has passed into the hands of the West that today it is impossible to say what in Russia belongs to Russia.
    1. pupkov.6464
      
      0
      
      10 May 2025 10: 02
      
      You are right - it is a shame for the State! But, still, Russia is not a colony!
      1. prior
        
        0
        
        10 May 2025 10: 35
        
        Looking at how our Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance operate, I would not make such a categorical statement.
Vladimir1155

+2

8 May 2025 19: 14

even if the ship does not have a flag, it legally has an owner and the owner of the cargo, for example, Rosneft or a Chinese company, in case of an attack on the owner's property, you can get it from the country affiliated with the owner....