Alarm over ‘exploding’ rise in use of sanctions-busting shadow fleet

Fear that confrontation is on the cards as policing of ships becomes more aggressive and Russia challenges Europe

The shadow fleet" used by Russia, Iran and Venezuela to avoid western sanctions and ship cargo to customers including China and India is exploding" in its scale and scope, and there are concerns that efforts to counter it are drawing closer to dangerous military confrontations.

Complicating the issue is that Russia has begun putting its own flag on some former shadow fleet tankers, in an open challenge to Europe.