Russia is quietly carrying out a disguised operation under Africa’s cover worth $100 billion annually

Since initiating a war against Ukraine in 2022, the international community has responded by placing embargoes on Russian products, particularly its energy products.

Some Russian vessels, as a result, have been labelled as illegal, forcing the Kremlin to look for alternative options to transport and sell its goods.

One such alternative is registering its ‘shadow fleet’ under African flags to bypass said sanctions.

The country, which is now the center of one of the world’s most expensive conflicts, has now resorted to targeting African shipping registries, as they let Russia’s shadow fleet obscure the true ownership of its oil-carrying tankers.

African shipping registries are often plagued by weak mechanisms to verify a vessel’s registration, operators and ownership origins, according to researchers at the Robert Lansing Institute, as seen on DefenseWeb.

“In practice, this means that ships can continue operating within international shipping networks while remaining shielded from direct enforcement actions,” even if they are already sanctioned, institute researchers wrote in a March report.

A report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air noted that the Russian shadow fleet transported around 50% of the country’s seaborne oil in March.

Approximately 591 ships are carrying up to 4.1 million barrels of oil a day that constitute the Russian fleet.

Revenue from this fleet is estimated to be around $100 billion annually.

In Africa, Russia commonly registers its vessels under “false flags,” while its fleet also flies “flags of convenience” and engages in “flag hopping” to evade sanctions.

“The growing concentration of Russian-linked vessels within African registries indicates that the shadow fleet is evolving into a stable and institutionalized logistics network rather than a temporary workaround,” the Lansing Institute reported.

“The fact that more than half of documented false-flag cases occur within African jurisdictions suggests the emergence of a consistent concealment channel used systematically by shadow fleet operators.”

African nations reported to be complicit in this scheme include Benin, Comoros, The Gambia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, all of which have reportedly experienced significant increases in registered tonnage.

“For Moscow, African flags have become a practical means of concealing shadow fleet operations behind foreign jurisdiction,” the report said.

“Once vessels sail under the legal protection of another country’s registry, enforcement becomes far more complex.”

According to reports from maritimecrimes.com, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States blacklisted 110 Comorian-flagged vessels in 2025 due to their involvement in oil transport that sustains Russia’s war economy. Additionally, a March report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) indicated that Cameroon’s ship registry experienced a 126% expansion over the preceding year.

“These figures suggest that African registries are no longer marginal players in the global maritime system but have become central nodes in the infrastructure enabling sanctions evasion,” the Lansing Institute reported.

In the preceding year, Malawi appealed for international action against the fraudulent exploitation of its maritime registry, following the recording of eight incidents involving the unauthorized use of its flag. In common with various African nations, Malawi does not operate an international ship registry.

“It is hoped that Interpol is going to investigate these illegal activities,” David Mzandu, Malawi’s secretary for transport and public works, wrote in a letter to the IMO. “In addition, it will be noted that these fraudsters provided signatures, a fake Government seal, contact details, and an entity that is not related to the Malawi Government.”