Rogue Oil Tankers Pose Geopolitical Risks
A 1,000-strong “dark fleet” of rogue oil tankers skirting sanctions has emerged as a new target for the U.S. and Ukraine, according to senior maritime intelligence analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann. The aging fleet poses geopolitical risks and threats of $1 billion oil spills, with recent U.S. seizures in Venezuela and Ukrainian drone strikes in the Black Sea marking a turning point for both nations in their efforts.
Bockmann warned that these vessels are a lifeline for sanctioned regimes, such as Iran, Venezuela, and Russia, allowing them to fund wars and illicit activities. She emphasized that this is a brand-new problem for the U.S., which now faces a new strategy to deal with the “dark fleet” and counter gray-zone aggression.
Maritime Safety Concerns
The vessels in question are typically elderly and used solely for sanctioned oil trades. Many of these ships manipulate their Automatic Identification System (AIS) to show they are in one place when they are actually elsewhere. This manipulation leaves crews at risk, as well as posing a menace to the environment.
Bockmann highlighted that many of these vessels have gone to fraudulent registries that don‘t exist, which means they have no insurance. Their certificates of seaworthiness are invalid, and they rely on international maritime conventions to have what’s called the “right of innocent passage,” making it difficult for authorities to intercept them.
U.S. Forces Take Action
U.S. forces have used legal tools, including Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which allows boarding of stateless vessels, to stop these ships. In recent cases, U.S. forces seized the tanker Skipper, sanctioned in 2022 and found to be masking its location, under a federal warrant as part of a broader campaign to disrupt illicit oil shipping.
The recent Venezuelan tanker was carrying 1.8 million barrels of oil uninsured, posing a potential $1 billion maritime disaster waiting to happen. Bockmann emphasized that these vessels are not only a threat to the environment but also pose significant risks to crew welfare and safety.
Ukrainian Drone Strikes
Meanwhile, in the Black Sea, Ukraine targeted multiple alleged “shadow fleet” tankers with sea drones, according to Reuters. The three tankers attacked were all in ballast, meaning they weren’t carrying oil at the time of the strike. Bockmann noted that these vessels were falsely flagged, just like in recent cases where flags from countries such as Gambia and Guyana were used.
The U.S. and Ukraine’s efforts to target these rogue oil tankers demonstrate a commitment to enforcing sanctions and countering gray-zone aggression. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how these nations will work together to address this complex issue.
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