Enforcement Shock Accelerates Dark Fleet Reflagging to Russia

12 February 2026 Windward 

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 that have already switched to Russia’s flag following a governance crackdown and nine interdictions of sanctioned, stateless vessels in just over eight weeks.

Reflagging as a Response to Enforcement Pressure

Nearly 70 dark fleet tankers have been tracked by Windward broadcasting Russia as their new flag since May 2025, including 40 since the boarding, seizure, or detention of falsely flagged ships by the U.S., UK, and France began in December.

At least three vessels – Akkord (IMO 9259599), Saga (IMO 9318553), and Topaz (IMO 9292034) – switched to Russia’s flag from fraudulent registries last week alone.

Ships trading under fraudulent registries lack flag-state protection, making them subject to boarding under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Seas.

Throughout 2025, more than 300 shadow fleet tankers involved in sanctioned Iranian, Venezuelan, or Russian oil trades shifted to fraudulent flags, often after repeated flag hopping.

These vessels were subsequently deregistered by permissive registries, including Gabon, Cook Islands, Barbados, Comoros, and Gambia, after sustained pressure to remove Western-sanctioned tonnage, leaving many ships effectively stateless.

This left the tankers vulnerable at sea. Reflagging to Russia, which is often the only registry willing to accept them, restores legal protection under international maritime law, at least for now.

Enforcement Pressure Drives Structural Shift

The trend toward reflagging to Russia is expected to accelerate if governments, including the U.S., maintain pressure and continue interdicting falsely flagged vessels.

The most recent interdiction, on February 9, saw U.S. commandos board the runaway Suezmax tanker Aquila II (IMO 9281152) in the Indian Ocean. This marked the eighth U.S. interdiction related to Venezuela, and the ninth overall since December.

View Full Report Here

How we can help:

1. Submit your requirement - A member of the team will reach out within 24 hours.

2. Book a call with the team - Explore which of our 200+ data and analytics solutions align with your needs.

Click here to subscribe on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/exwPBCNG