WSJ: In two weeks, 15 ships carrying sanctioned oil changed their flags to Russian ones

Since the beginning of January alone, 15 tankers carrying sanctioned oil have changed their flags to Russian ones.

This is reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing data from Lloydʼs List Intelligence.

Richard Mead, editor-in-chief of the shipping publication Lloydʼs List, says that by using the Russian flag, the shadow fleetʼs vessels hope to protect themselves from prosecution by the United States, which has tightened its blockade of Venezuelan oil exports.

“This could certainly become a point of friction between Washington and Moscow,” he adds.

According to the analytical agency S&P Global Market Intelligence, another 25 tankers changed their flag to Russia in the last three months of 2025. 18 of them did so in December, and 16 of the vessels were under sanctions from the UK or the US. The legitimacy of changing the flag right in the middle of a voyage from the point of view of international maritime law is questionable, S&P notes.

• One of the tankers that hastily reflagged was the Marinera, which the US had been pursuing for two weeks. Russia also sent a submarine and several Navy ships to escort the tanker. However, none of this helped, and the US eventually seized the tanker.

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