Episode 21: Casting Shadows on Darkened Fleets; the Maritime Irregular Fight for International Sanctions Enforcement

Guests Michelle Bockmann, John Driscoll, and Tomer Raanan join Dave Brown to discuss the so-called ‘shadow fleet’, describing the large, and growing unregulated network of aging oil tankers and cargo ships, (often older than 15 years), that use deceptive practices like turning off maritime tracking systems, faking identities (false flags/names), and using shell companies to operate outside international sanctions, primarily to transport sanctioned oil (like Russian or Iranian) or conduct other illicit trade, while also posing potential major environmental and safety risks due to lack of proper insurance and oversight.

Guests:

Michelle Wiese Bockmann is a Senior Maritime Intelligence Analyst for Windward and London-based energy commodities writer specializing in sanctioned oil flows and the ‘shadow fleet’, (deceptive and illicit shipping practices, and their regulatory, security and legal implications). Bockmann has more than 25 years’ experience across three continents in shipping and oil markets with a focus on the intersection of global shipping and geopolitics, maritime intelligence, and risk & compliance. Michelle has also worked as a journalist and political writer for The Australian, and worked for Bloomberg News, Lloyd’s List, and Fairplay shipping publications.

John J. Driscoll is a 31-year career officer in the U.S. Coast Guard as an expert in maritime law enforcement, theater security cooperation, and maritime and defense policy. Captain Driscoll commanded five USCG Cutters, enforcing U.S. drug, immigration, and fisheries laws, as well as UN Security Council resolutions against Bosnia, Iraq, Libya, and North Korea. He served in defense policy and maritime law enforcement roles, including Chief of Drug and Migrant Interdiction at USCG Headquarters, and Director for Homeland Defense Integration in OSD Policy.

Tomer Raanan is a maritime risk analyst at Lloyd’s List, where his reporting explores how geopolitics and regulation shape seaborne commerce, and how deceptive and high-risk practices are used to evade sanctions and facilitate illicit trade. In 2024, Tomer was named ‘Multimedia Journalist of the Year’ by the Seahorse Freight Association for uncovering a sanctions-skirting LPG shipping network. Before joining Lloyd’s List in 2022 as senior reporter, he worked for a decade in private security.

Articles:

1. Shadow Fleet: How illicit shipping networks broke global oil trade, S&P Global Energy, YouTube, 22 Sep 2025
2. Swedish Navy Finds Russian Military Personnel Aboard “Shadow Fleet” Tankers, Sania Kozatskyi, Militarnyi, 16 Dec 2025
3. EU targets Russia’s shadow fleet with new sanctions, hitting businessmen and companies, AP News, 15 Dec 2025
4. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: Council sanctions 9 shadow fleet enablers, Press Release, Council of the EU, 15 Dec 2025
5. Ukrainian drones hit Russia's shadow fleet tanker in Mediterranean Sea for the first time, source says, A. Terajima, Kyiv Independent, 19 Dec 2025
6. Ukraine says it struck Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in Black Sea, K. Gak, C. Danaher, C. Nicholls, CNN, 10 Dec 2025
7. Ghost Busters: Options for Breaking Russia’s Shadow Fleet, B. Jensen and J. Macias III, CSIS, 15 Dec 2025
8. US May Target Russia’s “Shadow Fleet” if Kremlin Rejects Peace Plan, Vlad Litnarovych, United 24 Media, 17 Dec 2025
9. Sinking Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’: Has the Ukraine war reached Senegal?, Sébastian Seibt, France 24, 3 Dec 2025
10. Seizure of rogue oil tanker off Venezuela signals new U.S. crackdown on shadow fleet, J. Goodman & M. Biesecker, AP via PBS News, 12 Dec 2025
11. Rogue tankers in Singapore: What are shadow fleets and who uses them?, A. Kozul-Wright, Al Jazeera, 19 Dec 2025
12. Irregular Warfare at Sea: How Russia’s Shadow Fleet Undermines Maritime Security, A. Rolander, SWJ, 11 Dec 2025