The shadow fleet of sanctions skirmishes facing the global crackdown: an analysis
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Shocking images on social media of Belgian special forces boarding an oil tanker with alleged links to Russia in early March underscored a major shift in the way the West views global shipping, a CBC analysis says.
Using maritime traffic data, input from experts, news reports and press releases, an analysis from a team of CBC virtual investigators found that at least 14 shadow vessels – vessels that sail under false flags to prosecute skirts – have been intercepted, arrested or boarded by US, Indian and European Union authorities since December 2025.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had 14 cases in a year, at least 14 cases in a three-month period,” said David Tannenbaum, director of Blackstone Compliance Services, which provides sanctions compliance advice.
“These ships are not safe. They are carrying goods that support the war of violence or terrorism or the proliferation of nuclear weapons,” he said. “The people behind these social networks … are guilty of gross human rights abuses.”
Russian oil is currently under sanctions by the federal government, but hundreds of millions of dollars have flowed into Canada, possibly fueling cars and planes, since the war in Ukraine began. Using trade data and satellite imagery, CBC News tracked the maritime traffic carrying the sanctioned oil – some aboard Russian ‘shadow ships’.
Many seizures related to the Caribbean blockade
The lion’s share of the new seizures were related to the US blockade in the Caribbean that began before the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January. At least seven tanks were seized by the US during the blockade.
Europe began to increase its pressure to seize ships from the shadow fleet, “inspired by the US after its detention of these unflagged Venezuelan soldiers,” said Isaac Levi, who leads the European Policy and Energy Analysis team at the Center for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA).
In Europe, he says, catching ships at the current rate is “a completely new situation.”
Indian authorities also seized three suspected Iranian tankers at the same time and recently, European authorities detained three suspected Russian tankers.
Shadow ships are still active
They are more than a thousand shadow tankers, according to TankerTrackers, a maritime intelligence service that tracks crude oil shipments. Russia operates the largest number, experts say, mainly to use them to undermine international oil price regulations by traveling under the flags of countries that are not subject to sanctions.
Last year, CBC’s virtual investigative team has been found how shadow ships brought Russian oil to Canadian ports from India.
The latest crackdown represents a shift toward aggressive enforcement that is “overdue,” Blackstone’s Tannenbaum said.
“Captivation adds another variable that encourages people to work harder at their jobs,” he said.
We are defending the Homeland forward. Distance does not protect you.
In no time, the US forces conducted the right to visit, intercept the marines and board the Veronica III without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.
The ship tried to defy President Trump… pic.twitter.com/Tran3cLR9g
The increase in law enforcement has already led to changes in the shadow fleet itself According to the International Institute for Strategic StudiesUK-based think tank, Russia has responded by re-flagging the ships to official Russian registry and hiring military escorts.
Despite the increased pressure, the shadow ships are still active.
According to the shipping industry trade publication Lloyd’s Listalmost half of all oil and gas vessels carrying more than 10,000 tons (vessel weight expressed in tons) that passed through the Strait of Hormuz between March 1 and 8 were shadow vessels. The Strait is an important international oil transit point controlled by Iran.
US issues waiver on Russian oil
This week, US President Donald Trump issued a 30 day license so that countries that buy Russian oil are currently locked in the sea to reduce the pressure on oil prices that was shaken by the US-Israeli war against Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The move to ease sanctions has been criticized by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said on Friday that doing so would give Russia billions in revenue that could help fund its war effort.
The idea of a temporary withdrawal also came up in talks between G7 leaders this week, and on Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada would maintain sanctions on Russia “including the shadow vessels, which transport this oil.”
“I don’t think it’s going to move the needle on oil prices at all,” Tannebaum said of the withdrawal. “Many black ships were already unloading cargo in India.”
