Russia is circumventing Western sanctions through its ghost fleet

Faced with restrictions imposed by Western countries, Moscow resorts to covert exports through a network of ships operating off the official radar.

Russia is employing a variety of strategies to evade the economic sanctions imposed on its exports since the invasion of Ukraine. Among the methods used is the deployment of a ghost fleet, composed of ships whose identity and ownership are deliberately obscured, allowing Moscow to continue shipping goods to foreign buyers.

These ships sail under flags of convenience, frequently change their names, and disable their tracking systems to cover their tracks. The process aims to conceal the Russian origin of the cargoes, whether they be oil, gas, or other raw materials subject to Western restrictions.

This report, by Léo Paichard with August Hakansson, illustrates the scale of a phenomenon that is testing the control mechanisms put in place by the European Union and its allies to deprive Moscow of financial resources.