Since the start of January, at least 15 tankers involved in transporting sanctioned oil have re-registered under the Russian flag within a two-week period, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing data from Lloydʼs List Intelligence.
Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloydʼs List, notes that vessels belonging to the so-called “shadow fleet” view the use of the Russian flag as a way to reduce the risk of U.S. intervention, against the backdrop of Washington’s tougher measures to block Venezuelan oil exports. “This could very well become a point of confrontation between Washington and Moscow,” he says.
Analysts at S&P Global Market Intelligence point to a broader scale of the shift: over the final three months of 2025, a further 25 tankers switched to the Russian flag. In December alone, 18 vessels did so, 16 of which were under UK or US sanctions. S&P stresses that the very act of changing a vessel’s flag in the middle of a voyage raises serious questions under international maritime law.
Particular scrutiny has focused on the tanker “Bella 1,” which from late December was pursued by U.S. authorities near the Venezuelan coast. The vessel, carrying oil, refused to comply with Coast Guard orders, altered course, and painted a Russian flag on its hull. Several days later, the tanker was renamed “Marinera” and entered into Russia’s maritime shipping register. On January 7, it was detained together with its crew in the northern Atlantic Ocean. The White House said crew members, including Russian nationals, were subject to criminal prosecution and could be brought before a court if necessary. Two days later, Russia’s foreign ministry reported the release of two Russian citizens. According to The Wall Street Journal’s tally, by the weekend of January 10–11 the United States had already seized five “shadow fleet” oil tankers sailing under various flags.