Enforcement Shock Accelerates Dark Fleet Reflagging to Russia
At a Glance A Structural Shift in Russia’s Shadow Fleet At least 120 falsely flagged, sanctioned tankers are likely to reflag to Russia’s registry in the coming months, as Western interdictions of stateless shadow fleet vessels accelerates a structural shift in Russia’s oil export logistics. All ships fit the profile and trading pattern of tankers…
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Maritime Defense Weekly: Enforcement Tightens Across Global Shipping
The Week in Focus Maritime Enforcement Is Shifting From Designation to Constraint Maritime enforcement is increasingly focused on restricting how vessels operate in practice, not just on whether they appear on a sanctions list. Rather than relying solely on designations, recent actions are targeting the services and access that make maritime trade possible, including insurance,…
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EU-Owned Tankers Ship 35% of Russia’s Oil in January Ahead of EU Ban
EU Moves to End Maritime Workarounds EU-owned tankers shipped 35% of Russian oil in January, ahead of a planned “full maritime services ban” that will end Western marine service providers’ ability to transport crude sold to fund the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. The ban was announced on February 6 by European Commission President Ursula von…
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Tracking RAIDER: How Long-Term Vessel Behavior Uncovered a Pacific Drug Operation
At a Glance How a Dormant Vessel Triggered a Major Seizure In January 2026, French naval forces interdicted the MV RAIDER, a 41-meter pontoon vessel, in French Polynesian waters, seizing nearly five tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated value of nearly $150 million. Although the vessel was released without charges, its risk profile illustrates how…
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