Why did ‘Ghost Fleet’ become crucial to Russian oil?

The “Shadow Fleet or” Dark Fleet “) fleet existed before the war in Ukraine, and were mainly used by Iran and Venezuela, two countries under American oil sanctions, as well as North Korea.

Since the start of a large -scale conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, however, the ghost fleet worldwide, “which previously carried mainly goods to EEA from Iran and Venezuela, has increased considerably in size,” according to the American study group Atlantic Council.

The group considers that almost 17% of all oil tankers are part of this fleet, which also includes other types of merchant ships.

Why does Russia use it?

Petronhole embargo, limitation of Russian oil price, prohibition of maritime transport service. Sanctions against Russia point to wealth from the sale of its fuel, crucial to finance its military operations in Ukraine.

To avoid them, Russia had to reduce its dependence on Western maritime services and form its own fleet, indirectly buying tanker and applying its own insurance.