Shadow Fleet: Sanctioned Oil Tankers Disable GPS, Navigate Like Vikings (xataka.com)

• Over 1,000 tankers in shadow fleet
• Ships disable transponders, falsify GPS
• Bella 1 case: unknowing crew, USCG interception
• Manual navigation using radar and charts
• Increased risk of accidents and oil spills

"Western sanctions on Russia, Iran, and Venezuela have spawned a vast shadow fleet of over 1,000 aging tankers that disable AIS and GPS to evade detection, forcing manual navigation using radar and dead reckoning. The Bella 1 case exemplifies the risks: crew recruited unknowingly, chased across the Atlantic by US Coast Guard. This parallel maritime economy increases accident and spill risks, with navies and Ukrainian drones now actively hunting these vessels."