Sanctions Evasion: Syria and Myanmar Flags Hijacked by Russia-Linked

Russia-linked tankers have begun broadcasting the flags of Syria and Myanmar for the first time, exploiting countries that do not operate international ship registries to evade Western sanctions. The move marks the latest escalation in a rapidly expanding ecosystem of fraudulent registries, with 580 vessels now listed in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) database as falsely flagged. The surge in deceptive practices has seen a 23.4% increase in falsely flagged vessels in the first half of 2023, up from 470 at the end of 2025. Maritime intelligence firm Windward reports…

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