The “shadow” fleet of russian federation was replenished with ships under the flag of Cameroon

The share of Cameroonian tankers in the russian “shadow” fleet is increasing. Almost all vessels flying the Cameroon flag have questionable ownership structures.

Currently, the russian “shadow” fleet consists of 443 tankers with a deadweight of more than 10,000 tons. At the same time, the number of tankers that can potentially help russia circumvent sanctions reaches 1,900 vessels, most of them registered in Greece. This was reported by Splash with reference to S&P Global Market Intelligence analysts.

The report, published on March 20, focuses on Cameroon’s flag. According to the company, it was Cameroon that became the main intermediary in the movement of sanctioned goods. Thus, of the 43 tankers registered in Cameroon, only three have a fully documented and transparent ownership structure. Since 2021, the number of tankers sailing under the country’s flag has doubled.

“After the russian invasion of Ukraine, ships are flying the flag of Cameroon. This is how shipowners hope to avoid unwanted inspections,” says the study.