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Russia boosts its own flag fleet by a third as Western 'shadow fleet' crackdowns force tankers to seek Russian refuge

From the Newshound archive · first published 25 September 2026 · last updated 26 September 2026.

Russia boosts its own flag fleet by a third as Western 'shadow fleet' crackdowns force tankers to seek Russian refuge

Russia has registered 107 additional vessels under its own flag since January 2025 — a 36 per cent rise — as Western nations stepped up seizures of shadow fleet tankers caught flying false flags to move sanctioned Russian oil. The UK and EU have sanctioned more than 650 ships since late 2023, leaving stateless, uninsured vessels with few options beyond taking shelter under the Russian flag. Vladimir Putin has condemned the Western seizure campaign as "nothing less than piracy and robbery." Maritime analytics firm Windward AI reports that shadow fleet vessels held since December 2024 number at least 23.

Russia's flag registry has grown from 280 to 382 vessels, according to analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

MoreThe IndependentRussia boost fleet of ships sailing under its flag by a third in defiance of sanctionstheins.pressMore than 100 “shadow fleet” oil tankers have switched to the Russian flag since the start of 2025, report finds - theins.pressLatest news from AzerbaijanRussia reflags 107 tankers as sanctions pressure grows - Latest news from AzerbaijanEUobserverShadow fleet tankers flock back to being flagged as Russian, creating more headaches for EU states - EUobserver
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