Pacific Island Office Fronts Global Russian Oil Smuggling Network

A small office in the Cook Islands is the registered address for a "shadow fleet" of tankers smuggling Russian oil, an investigation reveals. This operation helps Moscow bypass international sanctions and price caps imposed after its invasion of Ukraine. The unassuming beachside office, in the capital Avarua, acts as a legal facade. It registers shell companies that own aging tankers. These vessels move oil from Russia to global buyers, often using deceptive shipping practices to hide the origin of their cargo. This "shadow fleet" allows Russia to sell its oil above the $60-per-barrel price limit set by Western nations. Tankers use methods like disabling location transmitters and conducting risky ship-to-ship transfers at sea to avoid detection. The use of the Cook Islands office highlights how remote registries can enable large-scale sanctions evasion. While not accused of wrongdoing, the island nation’s corporate services provide a layer of anonymity for the network’s operators. Experts state that such fleets pose major environmental risks due to their poor safety standards and increase the challenges of enforcing global sanctions against Russia.