"The shadow fleet used by Russia, Iran and Venezuela to avoid western sanctions and ship cargo to customers including China and India is exploding in its scale and scope, and there are concerns that efforts to counter it are drawing closer to dangerous military confrontations. Complicating the issue is that Russia has begun putting its own flag on some former shadow fleet tankers, in an open challenge to Europe."
"There have been maritime interdictions to enforce sanctions, and the recently announced US blockade of sanctions-busting ships in Venezuela. Earlier this month US special forces rappelled from helicopters to board the Skipper, a tanker off Venezuela that the US treasury had placed under sanctions in 2022 amid allegations it had been smuggling oil on behalf of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah."
"The US seizures follow incidents this year where Estonia and France interdicted vessels suspected of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet, and recent attacks by Ukrainian air and sea drones on Russian shadow tankers accused of being involved in sanctions evasion. The increasingly aggressive efforts to police the shadow fleet and evidence that Russia is willing to use military assets to protect tankers, has led experts to warn of the risk of confrontation."
Shadow fleet operations by Russia, Iran and Venezuela are rapidly expanding to evade western sanctions and supply customers including China and India. Russia has begun reflagging some former shadow tankers under its own flag, challenging Europe. Several maritime interdictions and a US blockade target sanctions-busting ships around Venezuela. US special forces boarded the Skipper, sanctioned in 2022 over allegations of smuggling oil for Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah. Estonia and France interdicted suspected vessels, and Ukrainian air and sea drones have attacked Russian shadow tankers accused of sanctions evasion. Growing use of military measures to protect or seize tankers raises acute risks of international confrontation.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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