Western experts warn of danger from Russia's 'dark fleet'
(Baonghean.vn) - SCMP (Hong Kong) reported that, to circumvent Western sanctions, Russia has established a "dark fleet", including hundreds of ships with unknown ownership and no insurance. At the same time, they are constantly near the European coast. This is considered a dangerous weapon of Russia.
The growing number of “shadow fleets” has helped Moscow successfully circumvent oil export restrictions, RT reported on February 4, citing an article in the South China Morning Post (SCMP). However, experts warn that the old ships used in this process could pose environmental risks.
The "Dark Fleet" is a fleet consisting of commercial vessels that do not belong to countries in the European Union (EU) and G7, and do not use P&I (Protection and Indemnity) insurance during transportation.
In fact, companies in the EU, G7 and Australia have been banned from providing services to Russia transporting goods by sea with restrictions, including Russian oil insurance.
To circumvent these sanctions, Russia began looking for alternatives in the maritime services market, ending cooperation with Western shipping lines, buying more tankers and providing them with their own insurance. Experts say this has allowed the Kremlin to create a “shadow fleet” to continue actively exporting its oil, despite the embargo imposed by the West.
Since the conflict in Ukraine broke out in February 2022, the number of tankers with “unclear ownership” or without P&I insurance has increased sharply, according to Rystand Energy estimates. As a result, Western efforts to cap prices at $60 a barrel have been ineffective as Russia has found new buyers and new tankers to transport its oil.
“There is nothing unusual about this,” said Elina Rybakova, director of international programs at the Kiev School of Economics, noting that “shadow fleets” are often used by other countries to circumvent the constraints of traditional business models, such as high insurance costs.
Such vessels now transport more than 70% of Russia’s oil by sea, according to Ms. Rybakova’s estimates. In a November 2023 report, data from the Kiev School of Economics showed that 179 tankers from the “shadow fleet” left Russian ports loaded with oil.
A similar scheme is also used by other countries such as Iran and Venezuela, which are subject to US oil sanctions, said Atlantic Council expert Elizabeth Brough.
According to the Atlantic Council, the “dark fleet” can actually be considered Russia’s environmental weapon, because in the event of an accident at sea or an oil spill, Western countries supporting Ukraine could directly suffer damage./.
