Russia's attempts to hide tankers from sanctions, part of the so-called "dark fleet" transporting oil in violation of international restrictions, have once again failed. Two more countries, Gabon and Barbados, demanded the removal of their flags from the vessels of Russia's state-owned company "Sovcomflot," which, before the war, owned the world's largest Aframax tanker fleet.
For over 20 years, "Sovcomflot" used Liberia's flag, but in 2023, its ships began to fall under U.S. sanctions, forcing the company to search for new jurisdictions for registration. Gabon was the first alternative, which decided to capitalize on the registration of tankers carrying Russian oil in defiance of sanctions. However, under diplomatic pressure, Gabon withdrew from the agreement, and the company was forced to re-register its ships in Barbados.
But registration in Barbados also proved to be short-lived. Barbados, relying on British registers, had to cancel the registration of "Sovcomflot" tankers due to the UK's sanctions. Following this, the Russian company began looking for a new jurisdiction, choosing Oman.
According to analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann, three tankers — Mirabel, Primavera, and Carma — received registration in Oman in 2025. This coincided with a visit to Russia by Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said on April 22. Bokmann states that tanker registration in Oman is extremely rare. According to the Equasis system, of the 129 ships under Oman’s flag, only three are tankers, and all of them belong to "Sovcomflot."
In addition to Oman, Russian ships have also been registered under the flags of Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Sierra Leone. These countries typically do not attract much attention from international regulators, making them convenient for circumventing sanction controls.
"Sovcomflot" was included in U.S., EU, and UK sanctions lists back in 2022. In 2023, dozens of the company's tankers involved in circumventing sanctions were added to Western sanctions lists. In January 2025, the U.S. administration under President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on 69 "Sovcomflot" ships, including 54 oil tankers and four LNG carriers. In February, the European Union added "Sovcomflot" subsidiary SKF Arktika LLC and 74 other vessels connected to Russia’s "dark fleet" to the sanctions lists.
