A small Island at the heart of a global network
Under President Azali Assoumani, the Comoros maritime flag has become a discreet but vital tool in Russia’s effort to bypass Western oil sanctions. Since 2022, as the war in Ukraine dragged on, the number of Russian-linked tankers registered under the Comorian flag has surged dramatically. In 2025 alone, 110 Comorian-flagged ships were blacklisted by the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom for participating in oil shipments that fund Moscow’s war economy. Vessels such as the Yanhu, operating near Murmansk, and the Andromeda previously known as Anastasia Vlasova have been central in transporting Arctic crude to buyers in Asia through obscure routes designed to evade tracking.
The fast rise of a shadow registry
The Comoros registry now ranks among the fastest-growing in the world, expanding by more than 270% since the invasion of Ukraine. According to maritime data firm Windward, nearly 38% of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet used to move oil beyond G7-imposed price caps now sails under Comorian colors. For Russia, these tankers are crucial: they generate billions of dollars in energy revenue each year, sustaining both its domestic economy and the financing of the war. For the Comoros, the flag has become an unexpected source of influence and suspicion on the global stage.
Opaque networks and flags of convenience
Behind this phenomenon lies a network of private operators based in Dubai and India, managing the Comoros maritime flag with minimal state oversight. Companies such as Intershipping Services LLC have been directly sanctioned by the European Union for providing registration to Russian vessels involved in sanction-busting operations. Investigators say these registrars offer ultra-fast approvals sometimes within 24 hours for as little as $1,000 per year, with no meaningful background checks on ownership or cargo. This flag of convenience system enables vessels to change identity, name, and flag repeatedly, a practice known as “going dark,” which obstructs international monitoring.
Environmental and security dangers on the high seas
The proliferation of Comorian-flagged tankers poses severe environmental and security risks. Many of these ships operate without proper insurance or maintenance, conducting risky ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil in Arctic waters and narrow straits. Maritime experts and NGOs warn that a single accident could trigger a catastrophic spill along the Norwegian or Barents Sea coasts. “It’s not a matter of if, but when,” cautioned Greenpeace Norway’s Frode Pleym, highlighting the potential disaster of an uninsured Russian oil tanker under a Comoros maritime flag leaking in fragile ecosystems.
Western silence and global consequences
Yet despite mounting evidence and sanctions, the reaction from Western institutions remains cautious. The European Union, which once sanctioned the Comoros for illegal fishing practices, has paradoxically maintained development funding for Moroni. Analysts question how EU leaders could sign a €30 million “green maritime” deal in 2025 with a government whose registry fuels Russia’s shadow economy. Meanwhile, Comorian authorities have promised reforms, claiming they will revoke registrations for sanctioned ships but more than sixty blacklisted tankers still sail under their flag today. The Comoros maritime flag has become a symbol of both global hypocrisy and the high cost of weak maritime governance.
