More than 100 “shadow fleet” oil tankers have switched to the Russian flag since the start of 2025, report finds

Since the beginning of 2025, over 100 "shadow fleet" oil tankers have transferred their registration to the Russian flag, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). By June 2026, these vessels had increased Russia's overall registry by 36%, with 107 tankers switching to the Russian flag, which made up 36% of the country's registry. By December 2025, the peak of this shift occurred, coinciding with a United States campaign against Venezuelan crude and threats to detain oil tankers.

At the time of flag change, 93 out of the 107 tankers were already under sanctions, which accounted for 87% of the total. Over half of these vessels had sailed under false flags between the time they were added to sanctions lists and the moment they switched to Russian jurisdiction. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) confirmed that sanctions were a significant factor in the increase of "shadow fleet" tankers switching to the Russian flag.

During the first half of 2025, these vessels were actively registered in the Comoros and Gambia. However, as sanctions were imposed on the companies managing their registrations, both countries decreased the number of tankers they registered. Some of these vessels then opted to switch to the Russian flag. Similarly, Panama reduced the number of "shadow fleet" vessels in its registries by nearly two-thirds starting in May 2025.

One notable case highlighted in the report is that of the Arctic Metagaz gas carrier (IMO: 9243148), which was struck by a drone and left drifting in the Mediterranean this spring. This incident raised concerns about Russia's ability to fulfill its obligations towards countries that allow "shadow fleet" vessels to sail under their flags, prompting those states to increasingly refuse registrations.