Overview

• According to Admiral Benoît de Guibert, the ghost fleet now comprises about 900 medium-capacity tankers used to circumvent oil sanctions for Russia, Iran and North Korea.
• The European Commission’s proposed 18th sanctions package would add 70 ghost tankers to the 342 vessels already blacklisted.
• French naval authorities monitor around ten of these ships daily in the English Channel.
• The fleet’s operators exploit gaps in maritime law and opaque registration practices to conceal illicit oil shipments.
• Officials warn many of the aging tankers fail to meet safety standards and may lack robust insurance, posing maritime safety and environmental risks.