@misc{9216746,
  abstract     = {{In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, EU and allied G7 countries implemented extensive sanctions regimes targeting Russian oil and petroleum products. To circumvent these sanctions, Russia has increasingly relied on a parallel fleet operating without Western ties – a shadow fleet – which has come to play an important role in funding the Russian war effort. Shadow fleet vessels employ a range of tactics to conceal their operations and cargo, while raising concerns in relation to maritime safety, security, and environmental protection. The Russian shadow fleet has thus emerged as a significant challenge to the international maritime legal framework and the effectiveness of sanctions regimes. Applying a legal dogmatic method, this essay examines how shadow fleet operations exploit legal gaps in international maritime regulations, as well as structural weaknesses in the flag State obligations regime established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The essay focuses on the principles of ship nationality and registration, the requirement of a genuine link between a State and vessels flying its flag, and exclusive flag State jurisdiction on the high seas. While UNCLOS assigns primary regulatory and enforcement responsibility to flag States, the lack of a clear definition of the genuine link and the absence of effective international enforcement mechanisms allow certain States to offer registration without exercising substantial control. The essay also demonstrates how the use of fraudulent or non-existent registries, as well as poorly managed open registries, undermines the effectiveness of flag State control.

The results of the analysis show that the shadow fleet problem is not solely a matter of substandard vessels, but increasingly one of substandard or unwilling flag States. In the absence of an international framework capable of holding flag States accountable for persistent failures to enforce their obligations, the current maritime regulatory system remains vulnerable to exploitation.}},
  author       = {{Brühl, Dorothea Mai}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Sanctions at Sea: A Study of the Russian Shadow Fleet’s Exploitation of Legal Gaps in International Maritime Law}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}