Russian shadow fleet: Leaking oil and looming disaster
Leaky tankers from Russia's "shadow fleet" transporting oil have left oil slicks stretching for dozens of miles, according to an investigation by Politico and the group SourceMaterial. "It's a ticking time bomb," says one expert.
Politico has published an extensive analysis showing how actions intended to hinder the Russian war economy have had unexpected environmental consequences. Based on satellite imagery and data from the NGO SkyTruth, journalists discovered that the so-called "shadow fleet"—a group of older tankers avoiding sanctions—regularly causes spills into the seas and oceans.
Growing threat. "Ticking time bomb"
In March this year, British coastguards spotted a dark streak on the ocean extending as far as 22 kilometres. The likely culprit was the tanker "Innova," carrying a million barrels of oil from Russia to India. Although the ship was transporting sanctioned oil, British authorities did not take any particular action. Ships like "Innova" continue to trade oil, ignoring the environmental risk.
According to Politico, the situation has worsened since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. More and more tankers are transporting oil while sidestepping Western sanctions, often operating outside international regulations. Their owners conceal the origin of the cargo, bypass the price cap imposed by the G7, and use shell companies to hide true ownership.
Experts warn that it's only a matter of time before these ships cause an ecological disaster. Isaac Levi, an expert from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), said, "It's a ticking time bomb." Levi pointed out the enormous costs coastal states would have to bear in the event of a major spill.
Leaky sanctions. Oil still flows
The shadow fleet is a complex global problem. Politico tracked the routes of these tankers, revealing that their paths include, among other places, the Suez Canal and the coasts of China. In July, two shadow fleet tankers collided in Malaysia, igniting fires on both vessels.
Moreover, ships often turn off their GPS transmitters or falsify location information, making them difficult to identify. As a result, the oil spills they cause are difficult to monitor, which in turn delays service responses and increases the costs of cleanup.
Despite signals of potential violations, authorities in countries through whose waters these ships pass largely remain passive. As Politico notes, the tanker "Innova" was not thoroughly inspected by British authorities, despite visible signs of a spill. The same was true in other cases related to the shadow fleet.
