Yesterday at 20:03
The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine reported that Russia plans to increase the number of oil tankers operating under the Russian flag.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the decision is linked to the growing number of detentions of shadow fleet tankers by European countries and the United States, UATV English reports.
The move may also indicate coordination between Russia and Iran regarding the safe passage of shadow fleet vessels through the Middle East conflict zone.
The sanctioned Russian Maritime Register of Shipping is expected to soon inspect and identify about 80 tankers in order to re-register them under the Russian flag.
According to the intelligence data, the shipowners of these tankers are registered in several countries, including the Seychelles (35 vessels), China (23), Azerbaijan (13), and Samoa (8). Additional vessels belong to companies registered in Vietnam, India, the United Arab Emirates, and the Marshall Islands.
Increasing the number of shadow fleet tankers under the Russian flag could make it easier for Russian intelligence services to place agents aboard the vessels for reconnaissance and sabotage activities against Western countries.
This risk is particularly relevant in the Baltic Sea region, through which more than 40% of Russia’s seaborne oil exports are transported.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, registering such vessels under the Russian flag effectively gives the Kremlin greater freedom to use them as tools of hybrid threats against Europe and other Western countries.
The intelligence service also recalled the January 2026 case of the tanker Bella 1, which transported oil for Iran and Venezuela. The vessel was registered under the Russian flag after it was exposed for sailing under a false Guyana flag.
