{"id":224301,"date":"2026-05-16T02:39:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T02:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-sanctioned-oil-business-has-created-something-unusual-ships-that-turn-off-their-location-and-sail-like-the-vikings\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T02:39:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T02:39:52","slug":"the-sanctioned-oil-business-has-created-something-unusual-ships-that-turn-off-their-location-and-sail-like-the-vikings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-sanctioned-oil-business-has-created-something-unusual-ships-that-turn-off-their-location-and-sail-like-the-vikings\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sanctioned Oil Business Has Created Something Unusual: Ships That Turn Off Their Location and Sail “Like the Vikings”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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## The Rise of the Ghost Fleet<\/p>\n

In recent years, the landscape of global maritime trade has transformed dramatically, particularly in light of Western sanctions against countries like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. This has led to the emergence of what many refer to as the “ghost fleet” \u2014 a network of aging oil tankers that consciously alter their positions and identities to evade detection and regulatory oversight.<\/p>\n

### The Mechanics of Deception<\/p>\n

More than a thousand vessels are now engaging in this shadowy trade, moving illegally sanctioned crude oil while constantly changing flags, owners, and operating companies. To remain undetected, these ships frequently shut down their Automatic Identification System (AIS), a navigation system used worldwide to track vessels. Instead, they rely on outdated navigation methods, reminiscent of ancient seafarers, and operate under the cover of darkness, following radar signals and manual calculations.<\/p>\n

### Sail Like Ghosts<\/p>\n

The ghost fleet does not merely hide its location; it actively distorts it. Many ships spoof their coordinates to appear in legitimate locations, further complicating efforts to track their movements. Crew members aboard these tankers report seeing “ghost” ships on their radar screens; vessels that should be there but aren’t. In some instances, these ships go completely off the grid for days, making clandestine oil transfers at undisclosed locations, akin to navigating “like the Vikings.”<\/p>\n

## Case Study: The Bella 1 Incident<\/p>\n

One noteworthy example is the saga of the Bella 1, a supertanker involved in a high-stakes chase with U.S. Coast Guard vessels. Initially believed to be bound for the Dutch Caribbean, the ship’s real destination was Venezuela, aimed at evading sanctions. Its crew, often recruited with little understanding of the ship’s true mission, found themselves caught in a surreal geopolitical drama, epitomizing the risks faced by those working in this murky industry.<\/p>\n

### Risks and Realities<\/p>\n

The vessels participating in this clandestine trade are often outdated and worn down, posing severe risks including accidents, fires, and oil spills. Many of these ships are operated without insurance and run with poorly maintained systems, making them ticking time bombs on the high seas. Yet, their low acquisition costs and ability to blend into corporate networks make them attractive assets for illicit trades.<\/p>\n

## The Changing Maritime Landscape<\/p>\n

The international response to sanctions and illicit oil trading has intensified, especially following the onset of the Ukraine crisis. The U.S. and European nations have started intercepting suspicious tankers on international waters, while Ukraine has even resorted to using naval drones to target ships linked to Moscow\u2019s energy revenues. The naval combat zone has expanded beyond land to the seas, where images of burning ships have become increasingly common.<\/p>\n

### The Human Element<\/p>\n

What remains particularly striking is that many crew members are often not seasoned pirates or criminals but ordinary sailors ensnared in a complicated web of exploitation. Many of them are unaware of the repercussions of their work until it\u2019s too late, discovering they are transporting sanctioned cargoes or working for unscrupulous companies tied to Iran or Russia.<\/p>\n

## Conclusion: Navigating an Opaque Future<\/p>\n

The emergence of the ghost fleet reflects broader shifts in maritime commerce, revealing the complexities and dangers of circumventing traditional shipping routes and regulatory systems. As long as geopolitical tensions mount, the ghost fleet is likely to thrive, employing ever-evolving tactics to remain hidden. The world of maritime trade is slowly returning to its secretive past, with ships sailing under false identities and invisible routes\u2014forever trying not to exist.\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

## The Rise of the Ghost Fleet In recent years, the landscape of global maritime trade has transformed dramatically, particularly in light of Western sanctions against countries like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. This has led to the emergence of what many refer to as the “ghost fleet” \u2014 a network of aging oil tankers that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":224302,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[2139,2103,2497,645,2772,14178,1403,2202,5100,21358],"class_list":["post-224301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-business","tag-created","tag-location","tag-oil","tag-sail","tag-sanctioned","tag-ships","tag-turn","tag-unusual","tag-vikings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224301"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224303,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224301\/revisions\/224303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}