Russian tankers fake locations to hide movements

Tankers of Russia's "shadow fleet" began broadcasting their true and false coordinates simultaneously — FT.

Consensus

• At least 12 sanctioned Russian tankers in the Black Sea transmit false, static coordinates while moving.
• The tankers simultaneously transmit real and false coordinates, creating the illusion of being in two places at once.
• When passing through the Bosporus Strait, the tankers temporarily transmit their real location to comply with Turkish regulations.
• The false coordinates remain unchanged and are located hundreds of kilometers from the actual ship position.
• The scheme involves synchronized devices using the same software, indicated by identical coordinates and timestamps.
• The tactic is believed to protect the tankers from Ukrainian drone attacks and European sanctions enforcement.
• More than 80 vessels have switched to Russian or Equatorial Guinea flags between July and September.
• The shadow fleet includes about 1,229 vessels over 20,000 tons, with three-quarters under sanctions from the US, EU, and UK.

Points of divergence

• Six of the tankers simultaneously reported being in two locations at once. — novaya_eu
• The shadow fleet consists of approximately 1,229 vessels with a displacement of over 20,000 tons. — thebell
• The tactic is described as a new behavior for sanctioned shadow fleet tankers operating in the region. — tg_echoonline_news

Coverage (3 sources)

• FT: Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers are concealing their position while transmitting both real and false coordinates — Новая газета Европа
• Tankers of Russia's "shadow fleet" began broadcasting their true and false coordinates simultaneously — FT — The Bell
• Russian shadow fleet tankers are falsifying location data — FT — ЭХО / Новости

Key entities

• Black Sea
• Financial Times
• Bosphorus
• Russia
• London
• FT
• University College
• Ollie Ballinger