Russian shadow tankers spoof AIS signals to hide from Ukrainian strikes

Russian oil tankers that are part of the so-called "shadow fleet" are actively spoofing their coordinates in the Black Sea. These vessels conceal their real routes to avoid strikes by Ukrainian forces. This is reported by the Financial Times.

Synchronised fake signals

According to Oli Ballinger, a shadow fleet tracking specialist from University College London, at least 12 sanctioned tankers used identical devices to transmit false data. Meanwhile, the vessels themselves were located hundreds of kilometres away from the positions indicated in the signals.

One case was recorded where six tankers simultaneously transmitted two different positions via the Automatic Identification System (AIS). This created a false impression that the ships were in two locations at once. Such a method of deception may indicate coordinated actions.

Bridget Diakun, Director of Research at Lloyd’s List Intelligence, noted that this behaviour is new for sanctioned tankers in this region. She suggests that it may be part of a broader Russian strategy to protect its maritime assets. This is happening against the backdrop of intensified EU actions against sanctioned vessels and more active Ukrainian attempts to hinder Russian oil exports.

Manipulations near the Bosphorus

Particularly unusual tactics were recorded during the tankers' passage through the Bosphorus Strait. The vessels briefly switched on genuine satellite coordinate transmission, which is required for passage, but simultaneously broadcast another, fixed position near the entrance to the strait. This allowed them to conceal their real route from potential attacks.

For example, on 27 August, the Russian oil tanker Pirop simultaneously transmitted coordinates near the Bosphorus and reported that it was located approximately 800 kilometres away, off the coast of Turkey.

Possible use of identical technical means is indicated by the repetition of identical coordinates and the recording of all location messages at the same time — 08:13 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Flag changes and armament

Most of the 12 tankers that transmitted fake coordinates in the Black Sea switched to the Russian flag over the past year. This means that Moscow's maritime rules now apply to them. Some vessels have been equipped with nets and metal structures for protection against drone attacks.

In addition, more than 30 "shadow fleet" tankers changed their names to Russian words denoting precious stones during the summer, including "Jet", "Labrador" and "Sapphire".

Statistics and estimates

Senior analyst at Windward, Michelle Wiese-Bockmann, estimates that more than 80 vessels switched to the Russian flag between July and September. She called this the clearest signal that Russia is seeking to strengthen control over its own maritime transport and logistics.

According to Windward estimates, the shadow fleet consists of 1,229 vessels with a deadweight tonnage of over 20,000 tonnes. More than three-quarters of them are under US, UK or EU sanctions.

At the end of September, Kyiv stated that Ukrainian forces had struck more than 300 Russian vessels over 11 weeks.