- Over 80% of sanctioned vessels operate without verified insurance, raising safety and environmental alarms.
- European states are stepping up inspections, but forged documents hinder enforcement efforts.
- Shadow fleet vessels rely on aging ships, obscure ownership, and flags of convenience to evade regulation.
Efforts to regulate and verify insurance coverage of shadow fleet tankers operating in European waters have been intensifying amid growing concerns over non-compliance, reports Safety4sea.
The Invisible Risk at Sea
Most shadow fleet tankers passing through the Baltic Sea and English Channel are producing insurance documents when challenged by European coastal states, though the validity of many certificates remains uncertain.
According to Lloyd’s List, since June 2024, Estonia has requested proof of insurance 1,033 times, receiving 957 responses. Finland, focusing on tankers carrying Russian oil since December 2024, has challenged 1,200 vessels with a 95% response rate.
Furthermore, since 1 July 2025, German and Swedish authorities have been questioning passing tankers about their insurance cover against oil pollution damage in an effort to tackle the shadow fleet.
Enforcement Lags Behind Intent
The UK has challenged 343 suspected shadow fleet vessels in the English Channel, averaging around 40 per month. According to the Dryad Global “Shadow Fleet Exposed by Sanctions and Sensors” report, roughly nine out of ten tankers worldwide still carry International Group P&I cover, but most vessels now lifting Russian crude have already stepped outside that system.
They re-flag and buy cut-rate “flag-and-cover” policies from opaque underwriters, often tied to registries like Gabon or Cameroon, that lack both the capital and legal standing to honour a billion-dollar spill claim. Analysts estimate Gabon now accounts for more than a third of tankers linked to Russian trade, many of them single-hull vessels that would never pass an IG survey.
Since April 2025, Baltic and other EU coastal states have also made verifiable P&I certificates mandatory even for innocent passage—a shift triggered by the widespread non-compliance with earlier voluntary rules.
Moreover, Brussels is drafting legislation to make that obligation permanent and EU-wide. The U.S. moved earlier as OFAC guidance updated in January warns that charterers, bunkerers or port agents who “materially assist” black-listed vessels may face secondary sanctions. In practice, this means that compliance risks now travel with every cargo, regardless of flag.
Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?
It’s Free Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Safety4sea
