Sanctions-busting shadow ships are increasing - the big question is what to do about them

A growing "shadow fleet" of tankers is circumventing international sanctions, primarily to transport Russian and Iranian oil. The fleet, estimated at nearly 1,500 vessels, has tripled in size since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and now constitutes a significant portion of the global tanker fleet. These ships often operate outside maritime regulations, concealing their identities and sometimes mistreating their crews, as highlighted by a complaint from a sailor aboard a sanctioned tanker. The rise of this shadow fleet, which originated with North Korea and Iran, presents a challenge to Western governments seeking to enforce sanctions and prevent the funding of conflict and repression. The central question is what actions governments can take to address this increasing sanctions evasion.

Explore how the topics in this article connect to other news stories

Discover articles with similar content using semantic similarity analysis.