Use of Russian oil approved by China via “ghost ships”
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Often, a fleet of “ghost ships” that are not hidden from commercial tracing systems is quietly delivering approved Russian oil to Chinese ports, as tensions deepen between Washington and Beijing as trade negotiations unfold.
The unexplained oil tankers that make up the “ghostship” fleet are tasked with transporting Russian oil against the G7 price cap and the EU Principality It was caused by Moscow’s unprovoked war in Ukraine.
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“Russia can avoid the worst part of sanctions on energy exports with the Shadow Fleet,” Benjamin Jensen, director of the Futures Institute at the think tank at the Washington, DC Centre for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox Business.
“Energy is the lifeblood of the Kremlin economy, and that means that they are making money through exporting energy, that they are soon paying for new contracted soldiers and that it’s difficult cash that they can produce more weapons,” Jensen said.
He added that China’s The ongoing purchase of approved oil is to “actively support Russia in its war.”
View of the tanker “Event” off the coast of Rugen Island, Germany. The vessel was previously reported as a crude oil transport from Russia. (Stefan Sauer / Picture Alliance bygetty Images / Getty Images)
Despite US sanctions, China is a major importer Iran The second largest buyer of oil and Russian crude. Many of them leak through the growing fleet of untracked “ghost ships.”
The issue is that Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent will draw new attention as he completes two-day trade talks with Swedish Chinese officials. Bessent has announced China’s support for approved oil. Continuous trade negotiations.
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Jensen, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic Research, said the Russian “ghost fleet” has adopted several evasive tactics to avoid US sanctions.
Jensen said vessels often operate under foreign flags, obscuring their origins, disable transponders to avoid detection, and relocating the inside sea to hide the cargo.
Aerial view of the “event” of tankers holding Russian oil off the coast of Rugen Island, Germany. (Stefan Sauer / Picture Alliance bygetty Images / Getty Images)
“Imagine one ship leaves the port, meets another ship in international waters, relocates goods, and then a second ship continues on its journey,” Jensen told Fox Business about the relocation from ship to ship.
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“In some cases, the crew may not always fully appreciate that they are transporting illegal Russian oil,” Jensen added.
Earlier this year, a 19-year-old crude oil tanker named “Eventin” was seized by German authorities after the ship suffered an engine breakdown in the Baltic Sea. The container was previously identified as a vessel that exported Russian crude oil and other petroleum products.
German authorities have discovered that a Panama Formation vessel, previously named “Charvi” and “Stoviken,” carried 99,000 tons of Russian oil, or about $45 million.
View of the tanker “Event” off the coast of Germany. The vessel was previously reported as a crude oil transport from Russia. (Stefan Sauer / Picture Alliance bygetty Images / Getty Images)
Jensen said some ships in the Shadow Fleet are intercepted, but a comprehensive, government-wide approach is needed.
He gathered the intelligence reporting community, law enforcement agencies, and agencies such as the Commerce and Ministry of Finance to coordinate with international partners, seize vessels, and explain what would make Russia increasingly difficult to avoid sanctions.
“You’ll never be able to stop everything completely oil It’s smuggling, but you can reduce it and make it even more difficult,” Jensen said.
“But don’t think this is a problem with China, Iran or North Korea. There are many countries where commercial actors are seeing opportunities to increase profit margins, which makes Ghost Ship Oil even more appealing.”