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Russian shadow fleet tankers continue oil exports and fake AIS signals

Russia's oil exports are not decreasing, even though the West has canceled existing oil export contracts since the start of the Ukraine war. Satellite data are showing that the real and electronic locations of Russian oil tankers are differing significantly. The “Turba” was a few miles from the Greek coast on Sep 19, 2023. Another ship, the 'Simba', was 4,7 miles away, according to the AIS. However, this information was not correct. In reality, the two ships were right next to each other. Russian oil was pumped from the “Turba” directly onto the “Simba”. The supervisory authority became aware of the “Turba” as early as May of this year. Ownership details did not match and the ship's fragile condition was criticized by the authority. Russia has built up a fleet of such “shadow tankers” in recent months. Estimates of how much Russian oil is transferred by the “shadow fleet” tankers, which include the “Turba,” vary. However, it is assumed that at least half of Russia's oil is transported by ships from this fleet. Concealing the coordinates of oil cargoes is a common practice in international waters and is known in the industry as “spoofing.” While the goods are being loaded, an uninvolved third ship sends out fake location signals. The ship carrying the cargo switches off its own signal during this time to avoid interference. This makes it impossible to trace the oil delivery - the country of origin is concealed. After Western sanctions against Russia came into force, the southern coast of Greece has become an important shipping hub for Russia. Also important is the Spanish exclave on the Moroccan coast. The local Greek authorities have no power to stop the activities. Cargo handling in international waters, just six miles from the coast, is not within their jurisdiction. It is unclear whether the Greek government is monitoring and evaluating ship movements in the region.