Russia has transferred 107 vessels to its own flag since January 2025, a 36% increase driven by international registries blocking sanctioned cargo from the shadow fleet.
Russia has transferred 107 vessels to its own flag between January 2025 and June 2026, a 36% increase, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). This surge reflects a response to tightening international registries.
The peak occurred in December 2025 when 25 vessels were added in a single month. The shift follows decisions by open registries to bar sanctioned cargo from "shadow fleet" ships. Barbados and Palau have fully cleared their registries of such vessels, while Panama cut its listed fleet by nearly two-thirds from its May 2025 peak.
Major registries have launched a shared database, the Registry Information Sharing Compact (RISC), to combat flag-hopping and other evasion tactics. Consequently, the Russian shadow fleet faces a choice between sailing under false flags with detention risk or moving to the Russian registry.
By June 2026, 46 vessels previously flagged in Comoros or Gambia had re-registered in Russia, while others moved to the flags of Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea.
The analysis underscores how sanctions enforcement is reshaping global shipping registration patterns.
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