Several Russian Oil Tankers Stop Sailing Under Liberian, Marshall Islands Flags

Several oil tankers used by Russia have stopped sailing under the Liberian and Marshall Islands flags in recent weeks after, the US ramped up sanctions enforcement on ships linked to those registries according to Reuters.

• The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on around 41 oil tankers for Russian price cap violations since October, 24 of which were flying the Liberian flag and one of which was using the Marshall Islands flag.
• Almost all of the other tankers were flagged in Gabon, including 12 of the 14 targeted by the Treasury Department in its most recent bundle of sanctions on 23 February.
• At least three of those Gabon-flagged tankers had recently flown the Liberian flag, according to Reuters.
• Those tankers were among several ships in the SCF fleet moving to Gabon, according to the data: as of early February, SCF had 42 tankers in its 147 tanker fleet that had recently shifted to the Gabon flag, mainly from Liberia and Panama.