Shadow Fleet Tankers Falsely Using Cameroon Flag, Sources Say
The European Union is preparing to impose further sanctions on Russia‘s shadow fleet of tankers, which have been using fraudulent flags from countries like Cameroon to evade international sanctions. According to two European military sources, three tankers recently boarded and inspected by the EU’s maritime surveillance mission, IRINI, were found to be using fraudulent Cameroonian registration.
The tankers in question are the Nelsa, the Oneiroi, and the Sandhya. These vessels are typically older and lack known Western insurance or safety certification, making them ideal for Russia to skirt sanctions by sailing under the flags of various nations to obscure their true ownership, cargo, and movements.
Cameroon Warns of Misuse
Cameroon has warned in recent months that its registry has been misused by shadow fleet tankers transporting Russian oil. In a letter seen by Reuters sent to the U.N. shipping agency dated June 16, Cameroon’s government said an official investigation revealed several vessels were unlawfully operating under the country’s flag and that two websites were fraudulently being used to assign the flag to ships.
As a consequence, Cameroon has de-listed 39 ships from its registry. The central African country has emerged as one of the biggest conduits for fraudulent shipping in recent years, prompting the United Arab Emirates in 2024 to bar Cameroon-flagged ships from calling at its ports unless they have top-tier safety certification.
EU Prepares Tougher Mandate
The EU is preparing a further round of sanctions for mid-July in part targeting the shadow fleet. “The idea is to change the best practices, what different countries are doing with those ships, because it is really posing a danger, and of course also the idea is to curb Russia from funding this war,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said last month.
The latest EU sanctions package, which could be adopted in July, would see 30 more vessels from Russia‘s shadow fleet listed and expand the listing criteria to vessels involved in refuelling sanctioned ships or offloading cargo. European officials have said that the risks posed by these vessels include the safety of seafarers and of the environment should vessels not comply with maintenance requirements or break up at sea, as happened with two Russian coastal oil tankers in the Black Sea in late 2024.
Deliver Seized
The latest shadow fleet tanker seized was the Deliver, detained by the French navy on June 25 after being intercepted near Sicily. The vessel was sailing under a Cameroonian flag despite having been removed from the country’s registry.
Original Article: Europe targets shadow fleet tankers falsely using Cameroon flag, sources say — Theprint