Financial Times/CREA: The number of vessels sailing under the Russian flag rose
36% to 382 between Jan 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 as Moscow moves to keep oil and
gas exports flowing amid Western sanctions. The Centre for Research on Energy
and Clean Air (CREA) found that more than 80% of ships added to the Russian
register since early 2025 were previously sanctioned; many are tankers or
long-haul export vessels. Maritime analytics firm Windward AI reports EU/US
authorities have seized at least 23 shadow-fleet vessels flying so-called false
flags since Dec 2024. CREA also says the count of false-flag vessels fell from
101 in Oct 2025 to 45 at end-June 2026. CREA analyst Luke Weickenden: Russia’s
ship registry has become a one-way haven for sanctioned vessels — for every ship
leaving, about nine enter.
