A Russia-bound LPG tanker sailing toward the Baltic port of Ust-Luga reportedly falsified its location for 10 days in the Gulf of Finland to hide the loading of its propane or butane cargo. The 22-year-old vessel, recently sold to a newly formed Indian company, engaged in location spoofing before departing with a full load bound for India. Satellite imagery later confirmed that no vessel was actually present at the location where the tanker’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) indicated it was anchored.
A Growing Trend of Deceptive Shipping Practices
The vessel’s manipulation of its Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position reflects an increasingly common practice in sanctioned maritime trades. Spoofing allows ships to appear in one place while operating elsewhere, masking illicit or sanction-violating activities. According to Windward’s Maritime AI™, over 40 tankers were involved in 93 incidents of AIS or identity tampering within the LPG fleet in the past year three of which occurred in the Baltic Sea since February.
The latest case coincides with the European Union’s proposed 19th sanctions package aimed at banning Russian LPG imports and phasing out LNG imports by 2026. At the same time, extensive GPS jamming has been recorded near Ust-Luga, Primorsk, and Kaliningrad, causing vessels to appear in false locations, further complicating maritime tracking and regulation efforts.
Opaque Ownership and Sanctions Evasion Networks
The spoofing incident also highlights a recurring ownership pattern used to evade sanctions. The tanker was acquired by an anonymous Indian single-ship company with no previous maritime record mirroring the structure of Russia’s “dark fleet” that transports crude and refined products under opaque ownership. Such companies typically purchase older vessels from European sellers for deployment in restricted trades, making accountability and enforcement challenging.
Windward data indicates that at least 25 LPG carriers have transported Russian propane and butane from Ust-Luga to destinations including Belgium, France, India, and Turkey over the past 18 months. The use of shell ownership structures and deceptive AIS activity continues to obscure the true extent of Russia’s energy exports amid tightening international sanctions.
The case of the spoofing LPG tanker underscores the growing sophistication of deceptive shipping practices used to circumvent sanctions and obscure trade routes. As Russia adapts its logistics networks, these incidents highlight the urgent need for enhanced global monitoring, greater transparency in vessel ownership, and stronger enforcement mechanisms to protect maritime security and uphold the integrity of international trade.
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Source: WINDWARD
