Russia-Linked Tankers Turn to New Fraudulent Ship Flags

Russia-linked tankers have begun falsely claiming registration under the flags of Syria and Myanmar for the first time, highlighting the continued growth of fraudulent ship registries being used to keep sanctioned vessels operating.

The new flag identities appeared during the second quarter of the year.

Neither Syria nor Myanmar operates an international ship registry, meaning vessels claiming to be internationally registered under either country are falsely flagged.

According to maritime intelligence company Windward, the International Maritime Organization database now contains 580 falsely flagged vessels. This compares with 470 at the end of 2025, representing an increase of 23.4% during the first six months of the year.

Windward identified 275 internationally trading tankers using the flag of a fraudulent registry during the second quarter. This was slightly lower than the 290 vessels recorded during the first three months of the year.

Meanwhile, the number of fraudulent registries identified around the world has increased to 22.

Approximately 90% of tankers operating under fraudulent registries are subject to Western sanctions.

Syria and Myanmar are the latest countries to have their identities used in this way. Nicaragua and Equatorial Guinea emerged as new fraudulent flag identities during the first quarter, while the Netherlands Antilles, Guyana, Guinea and Madagascar have also been frequently used.

The changing pattern demonstrates the difficulties authorities face when attempting to tackle fraudulent ship registration.

Once a particular false registry is identified and exposed, operators can simply switch vessels to another bogus flag. This creates an ongoing challenge for enforcement agencies, with new fraudulent registries appearing as others are targeted.

The development follows a warning issued last week by Kyrgyzstan concerning unauthorized use of its flag. The landlocked Central Asian country informed the International Maritime Organization that no company or individual currently has authorization to register seagoing vessels under the Kyrgyz flag. Kyrgyzstan’s intervention effectively distances the country from any ships claiming registration without official approval from its authorities.