Russia: Deceptive ship practices and the evasion of sanctions on Russian grain and oil

The sanctions regime implemented by the US, EU, G7 countries and other countries since the Russian invasion of Ukraine has imposed sanctions and a price cap on Russian crude oil, gas, and other export goods.

This whitepaper describes where and how Russian-linked suspicious and unusual seaborne traffic increased following the Ukraine war in February 2022, as well as the consequences for commercial shipping. The paper indicates that the Russian crude oil sanctions and price cap will likely increase activity at current STS hotspots and lead to other places establishing hubs with increased activity.

Deceptive ship practises include hiding AIS whereabouts and STS transfers, as well as deactivating AIS signals on purpose, which can suggest unlawful trading at sea. Vessels that engage in questionable actions, both intentionally and unintentionally, face investigations, delays, and fines.