Rogue Oil Tankers Emerge as New Target for US and Ukraine
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, of maritime AI company Windward, warned that these vessels are a lifeline for sanctioned regimes, such as Iran, Venezuela, and Russia, as they are used to ship oil and fund wars. “There are about 1,000 vessels worldwide that are trading sanctioned crude tankers containing sanctioned Iranian, Venezuelan, and Russian oil,” she said.
US Seizures and Ukrainian Drone Strikes Mark New Strategy
The U.S. has recently seized the Skipper, a Venezuelan oil tanker, while Ukraine has launched drone strikes against 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.
“This is a brand-new problem for the U.S., and now Ukraine has signaled they are going to target these vessels the same way,” Bockmann said. “There is a new strategy to deal with this dark fleet, which is the lifeline of sanctioned oil revenues, and now under attack by the U.S. and Ukraine.”
Gray-Zone Aggression and Environmental Risks
Bockmann warned that these vessels pose significant environmental and navigational risks due to their poor maintenance and lack of insurance. “This is all a billion-dollar oil spill catastrophe waiting to happen,” she said.
She also highlighted the dangers posed by false flagging, spoofing, and manipulating AIS (Automatic Identification System) to show vessels are in one place when they are actually elsewhere. “These vessels have also gone to fraudulent registries that don‘t exist, which means they have no insurance,” she said.
US Forces Use Legal Tools to Stop Stateless Vessels
Bockmann explained that 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. “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,” she said.
Consequences for Maritime Safety and Environment
The consequences of inaction are dire, with Bockmann warning that a subset of around 350-400 vessels at any one time are not only sanctioned but also falsely flying flags. “This is a huge issue for maritime safety, it’s a menace to the environment, and it entails crew welfare,” she said.
As the U.S. and Ukraine continue to target these rogue oil tankers, the stakes are high, with potential consequences for global trade, environmental protection, and national security.
Original Article: US and Ukraine target 1,000-vessel ‘dark fleet’ smuggling sanctioned oil worldwide — Aol