The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service has reported that the Kremlin intends to boost the number of oil tankers operating under the Russian flag. This strategic shift comes in response to a rise in the detention of vessels transporting Russian oil in violation of sanctions.
In recent months, European and U.S. authorities have increasingly intercepted such tankers. The intelligence agency suggests that this move may also indicate potential coordination between Russia and Iran, particularly concerning the safety of these vessels navigating conflict zones in the Middle East.
Plans are underway for the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, which is under sanctions, to identify and technically inspect approximately 80 tankers for re-registration. These vessels are owned by companies registered in various countries, including 35 from the Seychelles, 23 from China, 13 from Azerbaijan, and 8 from Samoa, along with owners based in Vietnam, India, the UAE, and the Marshall Islands.
Ukrainian intelligence warns that an increase in tankers registered under the Russian flag could facilitate the infiltration of Russian intelligence agents aboard these ships. This could be leveraged for espionage and sabotage activities against Western nations, particularly in the Baltic Sea, through which over 40% of Russia’s maritime oil exports pass.
The agency cited a previous incident involving the tanker BELLA 1, which, in January 2026, was found to be transporting oil on behalf of Iran and Venezuela. After being detected using a false Guyanese flag, it was re-registered under Russian ownership. Ukrainian intelligence assesses that such tactics provide the Kremlin with additional avenues to exert hybrid pressure on European countries and other Western states.
Ukrainian intelligence has revealed the Kremlin's plans to increase oil tankers registered under the Russian flag, driven by recent detentions of vessels violating sanctions. This strategy may pose new security threats to Western nations, particularly in the Baltic Sea region.