The Switch List: Tankers Shift From Carrying Iranian Oil to Russian Oil

December 31, 2024 | Claire Jungman and Daniel Roth

Updated: December 31, 2024

On December 5, 2022, the G7, the European Union, and Australia agreed to a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil. The G7 price cap allows non-EU countries to continue importing seaborne Russian crude oil, but prohibits shipping, insurance, and reinsurance companies from handling cargoes of Russian crude around the globe, unless it is being sold for less than the price cap. EU countries have separately implemented an embargo that prohibits them from purchasing seaborne Russian oil. In an attempt to overcome these curbs on the country’s oil, Russia has established its own shadow fleet of tankers. These are mostly older vessels, many of which have experience working with sanctioned regimes such as Iran. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, more than 90 vessels previously involved in helping Tehran export Iranian export oil are now helping Moscow transport Russian oil or petroleum products. UANI first predicted that Russia would turn to the “Ghost Armada” to keep the crude flowing to its Chinese partner in May 2022. Since then, the number of tankers that have made the switch has grown. 

See below for the “switch list,” updated monthly: 

IMO Vessel Name Date Added Current Flag* Former Flags
9240407 ADELINE I (EX: ROANA) PANAMA
9337389 AGNI (EX: GLAUCUS) COMOROS (FALSE) PANAMA, COMOROS
9213313 ALBEDO (EX: ALITA I) GABON
9273052 ALISSA (EX: DANICA (EX: AFRA CROWN, LAFIZA, GULF VOYAGER) GABON LIBERIA, PANAMA
9257993 AMELL (EX: MISTRAL 1) COOK ISLANDS PANAMA, SAN MARINO
9308778 AMIL (EX: SATINA, AMELIA) SINT MAARTEN (FALSE) PALAU, MALAYSIA, PANAMA
9354521 ANHONA BELIZE (FALSE) LIBERIA, BELIZE
9306457 ANNABELLE MARSHALL ISLANDS
9248813 ARINA (EX: TALOSA, TJATSE, AKSTA) HONG KONG PANAMA
9227443 ARLAN (EX: INNOVA) SIERRA LEONE VIETNAM
9218181 ATLANTIS MZ (EX: TOMIE, CALI STAR) PALAU LIBERIA
9328716 BLUE GULF (EX: SHARP OCEAN) PALAU PANAMA
9144782 BODHI (EX: ROBON, TURBA, PELICAN) CAMEROON
9232876 BRAVA LAKE BARBADOS PANAMA
9410234 CARINA I (EX: AFRODITA I) LIBERIA PANAMA
9137648 CARUZO COOK ISLANDS PALAU
9276585 CH BILLION PANAMA
9270517 CINDY (EX: SEAGULL, DREAM VISION) COOK ISLANDS LIBERIA, PANAMA
9238052 CLIO PANAMA
9282792 CLYDE NOBLE PALAU PANAMA
9259185 DAKSHA (EX: HEBE) COMOROS (FALSE) PANAMA, COMOROS
9301524 DENEB (EX: PALMER) SIERRA LEONE VIETNAM
9240885 EAST 1 (EX: CAIDA STAR) HONG KONG
9283801 EGRET (EX: JADEAR, ACHELOUS) PANAMA
9277747 ELISE COOK ISLANDS CAMEROON, LIBERIA
9418078 ELIZA II PANAMA LIBERIA
9216717 ELIZABET CAMEROON
9189952 EM UNITY (EX: ARIANA, ARINA) SAN MARINO PALAU, PANAMA
9247986 ERVINA (EX: CRESTED, AMENITY) LIBERIA PANAMA
9263643 FRUNZE (EX: SONA STAR, LIDINIA) COOK ISLANDS PALAU
9235725 FUGA BLUEMARINE PANAMA
9257802 FURIA (EX: CHOLA QUEEN) BARBADOS PANAMA, COOK ISLANDS
9280873 FURY (EX: AVENTUS I) CURACAO (FALSE) PANAMA
9256468 GAGAN (EX: ELSA) COMOROS (FALSE) BELIZE, COMOROS
9249324 GLISTAR (EX: IZUMO, CATHAY PHOENIX) GUYANA (FALSE) LIBERIA, GABON
9363833 GOBY VIETNAM
9326720 HERA (EX: GRACY) VIETNAM
9187435 INDU (EX: VERGIOS) COMOROS BELIZE
9183271 IONA (EX: CALYPSO) CAMEROON
9249312 IZOLA (EX: MOSSA, MISCA) BARBADOS PANAMA, PALAU, COOK ISLANDS
9198094 JOEL (EX: JOLIE, BLUE STAR) SAO TOME & PRINCIPE CAMEROON, RUSSIA, PALAU, GUYANA (FALSE)
9234642 KOALA (EX: ORBIT 1) ANTIGUA & BARBUDA PANAMA, PALAU
9199127 KOEN (EX: BOREY G, CATHAY STAR) PANAMA
9312896 KRASNOYARSK (EX: NS CREATION) RUSSIA GABON, LIBERIA
9189146 KYLO (EX: MEMPHIS, METIS) COOK ISLANDS PANAMA, CYPRUS, COMOROS
9247792 LALIQUE (EX: GABRIELLE, DAMIA, OAKA) PANAMA LIBERIA
9258882 LEGEND VIETNAM
9258870 LELIA (EX: EMILIA, CAROLINA) BARBADOS MARSHALL ISLANDS, PANAMA
9284594 LEOPARD UNKNOWN VIETNAM
9259599 LURYN (EX: HAI II, YING HAI) GUINEA (FALSE) LIBERIA
9153525 LYDYA N (EX: LEMUR, RIDER 1, PRIDE, OMAN PRIDE)† PALAU CAMEROON, ST KITTS & NEVIS, LIBERIA
9266750 MAGIC LADY (EX: YONG XING SHUN HANG) BARBADOS PANAMA, LIBERIA
9220938 MARBEL (EX: MINERVA) COOK ISLANDS PALAU
9242118 MARIGOLD (EX: SHANAYE QUEEN) GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA, MALAYSIA
9171357 MAYA (EX: DIVINE POWER, DP 7) CURACAO (FALSE) GABON, PALAU
9281891 MEROPE UNKNOWN LIBERIA, PANAMA
9187227 MERU (EX: OMEGA) SIERRA LEONE CAMEROON
9257137 MIN HANG (EX: AURIGA) COOK ISLANDS PANAMA
9296810 MISSONI (EX: SERENDI) PANAMA
9232931 NARCISSUS PANAMA
9422988 NEW MILOS (EX: VOLANS, SUPER SAPPHIRE, OKEANOS, MARE, AL KHALIDIA, VICTORY 1) BARBADOS BAHAMAS, CAMEROON, GABON, LIBERIA
9242120 NYANTARA (EX: ROSSONERI, SHAWNA) PANAMA TOGO, ST KITTS & NEVIS
9224295 OCTANS (EX: JUDY II,TIAN YING ZUO) SAO TOME & PRINCIPE SAO TOME & PRINCIPE (FALSE)
9268112 OLIA (EX: ARC 1) GABON PANAMA
9131357 ORION CAMEROON
9224805 OXIS (EX: UZOR) CAMEROON
9284582 PANDA VIETNAM
9316701 PROGRESS V UNKNOWN PANAMA, COOK ISLANDS, BARBADOS
9250907 RANI PANAMA
9265744 RESTON (EX: EVERSHINE, CHAO XING, SEA VIXEN, VIOLETA) MALAYSIA CAMEROON, GABON, TOGO, TANZANIA, ST KITTS & NEVIS
9286229 RIEVERIA I (EX: OCEAN HERMANA) SAN MARINO PANAMA
9436006 SAMSUN (EX: PARAMOUNT) PANAMA MARSHALL ISLANDS
9396725 SAN REMO (EX: ALNIC MC) LIBERIA
9264893 SCORPIUS UNKNOWN PANAMA, COOK ISLANDS, BARBADOS
9315654 SEA HONOR (EX: KAPOK) GUYANA (FALSE) PANAMA
9162916 SETA (EX: HANA) CAMEROON TANZANIA, SAMOA (FALSE), GUYANA, GABON
9281683 SIRI (EX: ANTHEA) COMOROS (FALSE) PANAMA, COMOROS
9285847 SIRIUS 1 PANAMA
9277761 STAR RAIL (EX: SUPER EVER) TANZANIA PANAMA
9342786 SUNSEA (EX: AMIAS)‡ VIETNAM
9213296 TELESTO (EX: BRIGHT SONIA) GUINEA (FALSE) PANAMA
9237228 THANE (EX: LUKA, RHEA) SAN MARINO PANAMA, COMOROS
9256975 TML UNKNOWN PANAMA
9231509 TREND (EX: MM STRENGTH, SPM STRENGTH) UNKNOWN LIBERIA, BELIZE
9247780 TURACO (EX: DATURA) PANAMA LIBERIA
9233349 VESNA UNKNOWN SAO TOME & PRINCIPE, DJIBOUTI, BELIZE
9254915 VIOLA (EX: MARTINA, NADEZHDA) PANAMA MALAYSIA
9247431 WILMA II (EX: REMY, EASTERN PRIDE) PANAMA LIBERIA
9259733 YI TONG (EX: SNOW LOTUS) PANAMA
9304356 YODAN (EX: JENO, HERA 1, HERA) BARBADOS PANAMA, VANUATU, COMOROS, COOK ISLANDS

* Change of flag due to UANI intervention

‡ Vessel was sanctioned prior to inclusion on UANI’s public list of vessels suspected of involvement in Iran. The vessel remains on UANI’s list as it is currently foreign-flagged or ship-tracking platforms have failed to update the flag to unknown.

The vessels italicized indicate that the vessel was sanctioned after inclusion on UANI’s public list of vessels suspected of involvement in the illicit transfer of Iranian oil.