Suspicious activity is on the rise
Russia-linked tankers ‘going dark’
Shipping analysts Windward see a rise in suspicious activity by Russia-affiliated vessels since start of Ukraine war
“Deceptive shipping practices and dark activity have quickly multiplied” since the start of the Ukraine war, according to maritime data analysts Windward. Oceangoing vessels are obliged to transmit their location through transponder signals at regular intervals. But there are natural gaps in coverage, since the land-based receivers are not always in range, plus some updates can be lost due to "signal collision”, particularly in busy areas. Windward defines “dark activity” as gaps in vessel-tracking data they judge to be suspicious and likely to involve illicit—particularly sanction-breaking—manoeuvres. Since the imposition of sanctions against Russia, Windward has logged an average of 6.3 da
Also in this section
24 January 2025
Domestic companies in Nigeria and other African jurisdictions are buying assets from existing majors they view as more likely to deliver production upside under their stewardship
23 January 2025
The end of transit, though widely anticipated, leaves Europe paying a third more for gas than a year ago and greatly exposed to supply shocks
23 January 2025
The country’s government and E&P companies are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to increase domestic crude output as BP–ONGC tie-up leads the way
22 January 2025
The return of Donald Trump gives further evidence of ‘big oil’ as an investable asset, with the only question being whether anyone is really surprised
