US and Ukraine Target 1,000-Vessel Dark Fleet of Rogue Oil Tankers
The United States and Ukraine have set their sights on a massive “dark fleet” of rogue oil tankers, with approximately 1,000 vessels worldwide trading sanctioned crude tankers containing Iranian, Venezuelan, and Russian oil. This development marks a significant turning point in the efforts of both nations to counter gray-zone aggression.
Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a senior maritime intelligence analyst, warned that these aging vessels pose geopolitical risks and threats of $1 billion oil spills. The recent U.S. seizures in Venezuela and Ukrainian drone strikes in the Black Sea have marked a shift in strategy for both countries in their efforts to target this dark fleet.
“There are about 1,000 vessels worldwide that are trading sanctioned crude tankers containing sanctioned Iranian, Venezuelan, and Russian oil,” Bockmann told Fox News Digital. “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.”
The U.S. has already seized several tankers, including the Skipper, a Venezuelan oil tanker, off the coast of Venezuela. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, was questioned about the U.S. seizing an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
Recent Ukrainian naval drone strikes have disabled several tankers in the Black Sea, including the Dashan, part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet that Ukraine says helps Moscow export oil in defiance of sanctions, according to Reuters.
“It is dangerous and could be interpreted as a form of gray-zone aggression in order to continue to keep oil revenue flowing,” Bockmann said. “This is all a billion-dollar oil spill catastrophe waiting to happen.”
The U.S. and Ukraine’s efforts to target this dark fleet aim to counter the gray-zone aggression tactics employed by these rogue regimes. The strategy involves disrupting the flow of sanctioned oil revenues, which fund their military activities and support their illicit regimes.
In conclusion, the U.S. and Ukraine have launched a concerted effort to take down the 1,000-vessel dark fleet of rogue oil tankers. This development marks a significant shift in their efforts to counter gray-zone aggression and disrupt the flow of sanctioned oil revenues that fund these rogue regimes.
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