Russia hints it will deploy Navy to protect 'shadow fleet'
Putin's Maritime Board warns 'unfriendly states' that measures will be taken to protect Russian shipping interests.
The authority that is headed by security service hawk Nikolai Patrushev says it has elaborated a set of measures aimed at protecting Russian shipping.
The measures were reportedly adopted in a meeting in the Russian Maritime Board on January 21.
"Issues related to ensuring the safety of navigation on strategic maritime routes are considered. Particular attention is paid to problems associated with violations of international maritime law by unfriendly states," the Maritime Board reported.
The proposed measures come after several tankers carrying Russian oil have been halted by foreign special services.
On December 31, 2025, Finnish authorities boarded and seized the cargo ship Fitsburg in the Baltic Sea. Few days later, US forces took action against the tanker Marinera as it sailed from Venezuela towards Murmansk.
On January 22, the French Navy boarded the tanker Grinch as it sailed from Murmansk to the Mediterranean. The purpose was to verify the nationality of a ship suspected of sailing under false flag, the French authorities said.
Nikolai Patrushev is set to present the proposed Russian countermeasures to Putin, according to the Maritime Board.
Patrushev is former head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and secretary of the Russian Security Council. He today serves as aide to Putin on shipbuilding and maritime affairs.
The measures are likely to include a deployment of naval forces in the protection of ships that serve Russian interests.
According to Andrei Chibis, the governor of Murmansk, who is also a member of the Maritime Board, the role of the Navy is crucial.
"In a situation where unfriendly countries are increasingly attempting to disrupt the balance and rules at sea, the role of the navy becomes crucial. This involves protecting sea lanes, ensuring the security of the Arctic and the stability of the entire country," Chibis said in a comment after the Board meeting.
According to the governor, the Maritime Board now "focuses on the protection of our communications in a situation where the norms of international maritime law are increasingly being violated by unfriendly states."
Not surprisingly, the members of the Board fully ignore Russia's many grave breaches of international maritime law in the Black Sea and Azov Sea, as well as its buildup of a huge shadow fleet that increasingly poses a security threat in international waters.
Apparently, several Russian naval vessels already provide escort to sanctioned 'shadow ships'. On January 10, Northern Fleet destroyer Severmorsk was spotted as it escorted two cargo ships near the coast of Portugal. The Mys Zhelaniya was one of the ships.
A lion's share of Russian oil exports is now shipped by sanctioned carriers, many of which are old and have a shady ownership and management structure.
Information compiled by the Barents Observer shows that more than 50 'shadow tankers' have sailed along the Norwegian coast to Murmansk in the period October 2025 - January 2026. Many more are sailing in the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
Several of them are operating in outright conflict with international maritime laws.
On January 16, an oil tanker operating under the name "Tavian" sailed in the Barents Sea. It turned out that the tanker was sailing under a false IMO number.
Increasingly, owners of sanctioned tankers are actively stealing and inventing identities, and deliberately abuse the global ship-tracking system, an investigation carried out by Lloyd’s List in collaboration with SynMax Intelligence found.
