“Shadow Fleet” Shifts to Russian Jurisdiction to Evade U.S. Interception

Sanctioned oil tankers are increasingly transferring to Russian jurisdiction in an effort to avoid interception and seizure by the United States.

One recent example is the tanker Bella 1, which changed its name to Marinera after being pursued by U.S. forces and was subsequently added to Russia’s ship registry, The New York Times reported.

Meanwhile, Russia deployed a naval vessel to escort the tanker, indicating a shift from legal protection to direct military support.

Maritime tracking data shows that Marinera is currently traveling through the Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the United Kingdom and may be heading toward the Baltic Sea or the port of Murmansk.

Previously, the U.S. Coast Guard stopped the vessel in the Caribbean Sea, citing an arrest warrant for the vessel’s lack of a valid national flag. However, the tanker refused to allow U.S. authorities to board the ship.

After that, the crew painted the Russian flag on the hull, the vessel was renamed, and Moscow issued a diplomatic demand to stop the pursuit.

However, these steps did not halt the U.S. operation, prompting Russia to deploy a military escort.

According to official Russian registries, at least five tankers that were transporting Iranian, Russian, or Venezuelan oil have changed their flags and ports of registry to Russian in recent weeks.

As a result, Russia is effectively becoming a “cover jurisdiction” for the sanctioned fleet, intensifying maritime confrontation with the United States and increasing the risk of direct escalation.

Russia recently dispatched a submarine to escort a “shadow fleet” tanker fleeing a U.S. vessel, The Wall Street Journal reported.