The number of ships under a false flag has doubled: Russia’s shadow fleet is growing

The number of ships under a false flag has doubled: Russia’s shadow fleet is growing

Since March 2023, the number of vessels registered under a false flag has more than doubled, reaching a record 223 units in January 2025, reports Lloyd’s List. At the beginning of 2023, there were only 110 such vessels.

The largest increase in the number of registrations has been noted in countries with limited inspection capabilities: in São Tomé and Príncipe, their number increased by 385%, in Tanzania by 130%, and in the Cook Islands by 40%. Most of these vessels are oil tankers and cargo ships actively used to circumvent Western sanctions.

Bans on insurance and the imposition of price caps on Russian oil are pushing carriers towards the shadow fleet, indicating a significant impact of geopolitical tensions on global maritime trade.