Listen to the article
A global network of around 1,000 rogue oil tankers has emerged as a new target for both U.S. and Ukrainian forces, according to a senior maritime intelligence analyst who warns these vessels pose significant geopolitical and environmental risks.
Michelle Wiese Bockmann, speaking to Fox News Digital, described how this “dark fleet” has become crucial to sanctioned regimes. “These vessels are a lifeline for these regimes, because they’re used for shipping oil to fund the war in Ukraine, and also give money to the illicit Maduro regime,” she explained.
The fleet’s existence represents a growing challenge in enforcing international sanctions against countries like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. Recent developments suggest a shift in strategy by both the United States and Ukraine to directly confront these vessels.
In the Black Sea, Ukrainian naval drone strikes have successfully disabled several tankers, including the Dashan, which Ukraine claims is part of Russia’s shadow fleet that helps Moscow export oil despite international sanctions. According to Reuters reporting, these targeted strikes represent a new approach to disrupting Russia’s maritime operations.
“It is dangerous and could be interpreted as a form of gray-zone aggression in order to continue to keep oil revenue flowing,” Bockmann noted, referring to the tactics employed by countries using these vessels.
Meanwhile, in the Caribbean, U.S. forces recently seized the tanker Skipper under a federal warrant. The vessel, which had been sanctioned in 2022, was reportedly masking its location and carrying Venezuelan oil. On December 12, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi characterized the seizure as a sanctions-enforcement action.
Beyond the geopolitical implications, Bockmann highlighted severe safety and environmental concerns. “This is all a billion-dollar oil spill catastrophe waiting to happen,” she warned, noting that approximately 350-400 vessels in the fleet are falsely flying flags, leaving them effectively stateless and uninsured.
These “elderly” vessels often manipulate their Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to conceal their true locations. “They use false flagging, but also spoofing and manipulating its AIS to show it’s in one place when it’s not,” Bockmann explained. “These vessels have also gone to fraudulent registries that don’t exist, which means they have no insurance. Their certificates of seaworthiness are invalid.”
The recent Venezuelan tanker seizure by the U.S. involved a vessel carrying 1.8 million barrels of uninsured oil, representing what Bockmann called a “billion-dollar maritime disaster waiting to happen.” The scale of oil being transported by these unregulated vessels significantly amplifies the potential environmental impact of any accident or spill.
U.S. forces have reportedly used legal tools including Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits the boarding of stateless vessels, to intercept these ships. “It’s my belief that they used Article 110, and they got on board that vessel, and they were absolutely entitled to remove that vessel from global trade,” Bockmann said.
Ukraine’s recent targeting of shadow fleet tankers appears strategic, with Bockmann noting, “The three tankers that have been targeted by Ukraine are all in ballast, which means that they weren’t carrying oil.” She added that the targets were “carefully chosen” and were also falsely flagged—with the Gambian flag in the case of the Ukrainian-targeted vessels, and the Guyanese flag in the U.S. case involving the Skipper.
The emerging coordinated approach by the U.S. and Ukraine represents a significant shift in how these nations are addressing sanctions evasion. By targeting the maritime infrastructure that enables sanctioned oil trade, both countries appear to be adopting more assertive strategies to cut off vital funding sources for regimes in Russia and Venezuela.
As these enforcement actions continue, the international shipping community faces increasing pressure to address the challenges posed by these unregulated vessels and their impact on global maritime security, environmental protection, and sanctions enforcement.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
11 Comments
While the scale of this ‘dark fleet’ is concerning, I’m glad to see concerted efforts to enforce international sanctions and cut off funding for rogue regimes. The targeted drone strikes against tankers seem like an innovative approach – curious to see how effective it proves to be.
This ‘dark fleet’ of rogue oil tankers is a troubling development, but the targeted strikes against them are an encouraging sign that the international community is serious about upholding sanctions. Curious to see what other tactics are employed to crack down on this sanctions-busting network.
Kudos to the US and Ukraine for taking action against this global network of sanctions-busting oil tankers. Disrupting Russia’s maritime oil export routes is crucial to maintaining the pressure of economic sanctions. Interested to see how else they plan to confront this ‘dark fleet’.
It’s good to see the US and Ukraine taking decisive action against this network of rogue oil tankers that are helping to undermine international sanctions. Cutting off funding for rogue regimes like Russia and Venezuela is crucial, so I’m hopeful these targeted strikes will prove effective.
This crackdown on the ‘dark fleet’ of rogue oil tankers is an important step, but it’s clear that sanctions evasion remains a major challenge. Curious to learn more about the specific tactics and technologies being used to target these vessels.
The global scale of this sanctions-evading oil smuggling network is quite alarming. Glad to see the US and Ukraine taking a more aggressive approach to interdicting these vessels. Enforcement of sanctions is vital to upholding the international rules-based order.
Agreed. These ‘dark fleet’ tankers pose major geopolitical and environmental risks that need to be addressed head-on. Disrupting their operations could have a significant impact on Russia’s ability to fund the war in Ukraine.
Fascinating development in the global sanctions enforcement efforts. Cracking down on this ‘dark fleet’ of rogue oil tankers seems like a critical step to cut off funding for rogue regimes. Curious to see how effective the targeted drone strikes will be in disrupting Russia’s oil export operations.
The emergence of this global ‘dark fleet’ of sanctioned oil tankers is a concerning development, but the US and Ukraine’s efforts to interdict these vessels are a positive step. Curious to learn more about the specific strategies and technologies being used to target these sanctions-evading operations.
The existence of this ‘dark fleet’ of sanctions-evading oil tankers is a troubling reminder of how creative bad actors can be in circumventing international rules and norms. The US and Ukraine’s crackdown on these vessels is an important step, but clearly more work is needed to close these loopholes.
Sanctions are only effective if they’re properly enforced, so I applaud the US and Ukraine for going after this global network of sanctions-evading oil tankers. Disrupting Russia’s maritime oil exports is a key part of the broader effort to pressure Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine.