Michelle Wiese Bockmann

All but 2 LNG carriers sailing to load at Qatar or the UAE turned around in the Gulf of Oman.

Windward is tracking extensive & immediate disruption to LNG carriers, with at least 8 abruptly changing course before transiting the Strait of Hormuz within a four-hour window on February 28.

this EU-flagged VLCC turned off its AIS and transited through the Strait of Hormuz bound for Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia

tell-tale circles turning up everywhere -- I'm literally watching this happen in real time

while significant disruption is seen for tankers exporting energy commodities, especially those with Western affiliation, traffic is still sailing through Hormuz. but you can see from where I've indicated in red boxes, the widespread GPS jamming which places ships on land & 'crop circles'

Widespread AIS interference and GPS jamming apparent throughout the Middle East Gulf. this is a typical pattern for one impacted vessel

this EU-operated bulk carrier signalled Sharjah after leaving Khor Fakken to sail through Hormuz but then turned around after apparently losing AIS signal for five hours

Some brief observations from the @windward-ai.bsky.social
platform of the chaos in the Middle East and impact on maritime traffic. This Chinese-owned VLCC loaded and sailed through past 12 hours no problems

Agreed have noted the same thing but I think this by-the-foot approach is for marine insurance reasons

windward.ai/blog/cameroo...
the game of flag governance whack-a-mole continues, although the dark fleet appears to be running out of flags, and fraudulent flags are no longer an option. haven't seen a falsely flagged tanker transit for at least a week I think. link to blog below:

Exclusive HD satellite pic of 🇷🇺 submarine KRASNODAR in Alexandria (Egypt - مصر 🇪🇬)

Last appearance of this Kilo-class was a few weeks ago, tracked by NATO-commanded 🇮🇹 ships.

This port visit is much more discrete than the previous one in Algiers 🇩🇿...

EU official warns Russian shadow fleet threatens Europe Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the EU's top diplomatic official Belén Martinez Carbonell warned that Russia's shadow fleet is now one of the most direct maritime security threats facing Europe. #MSC2026

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the EU's top diplomatic official Belén Martinez Carbonell warned that Russia's shadow fleet is now one of the most direct maritime security threats facing Europe. #MSC2026
ukdefencejournal.org.uk/eu-official-...

ANNA MARIA (IMO: 9407469) got a new anchor and chain delivered in Kalundborg, Denmark after port-call in Ust-Luga, Russia.

No information where she lost her anchor and chain.

Photos: Poul Blasen / Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/69399...)

Windward Academy DC 2026 Join leading experts at the Windward Academy in D.C. for a high-impact training day on turning multi-sensor data into mission-focused, actionable intelligence.

Washington DC here I come! I'll be there next week for the Windward Academy, Feb 3. Link to join below: ⬇️

I'll be delivering the keynote, followed by an expert panel that will focus on designing mission-critical maritime intelligence for U.S. operational superiority. go.wnwd.com/windward-aca...

I'll be in Washington DC on Feb 3 for the Windward Academy to talk maritime intelligence/dark fleet and the defining feature of 2026: the blurring of commercial and military in shipping in an increasingly fractured, uncertain and disrupted world. Link to register:

go.wnwd.com/windward-aca...

LIVE WEBINAR ON PREPARING FOR EU BAN ON RUSSIA-DERIVED REFINED PRODUCTS: The 'laundering loophole' is being closed, banning diesel, jet fuel, gasoline etc from refineries in Türkiye and India.

On Wed. Jan 14) I'll be joining Daniel Martin to talk about what this means.

go.wnwd.com/eus-russian-...

this ship is special in the sense that until very recently it was operating under a new identity. it wasn't so much a zombie vessel as a rebirthed tanker. it falsely claimed to be new tanker and got the flag state to apply for a new IMO number. The IMO issued it but cancelled it

Falsely flagged, EU and US-sanctioned Ethera (IMO 9387279) flying the flag of the fraudulent registry of Guinea is sailing through the English Channel right now laden with Russian oil.
more about this @windward-ai.bsky.social Maritime Defense Weekly windward.ai/blog/maritim...

that's super interesting thank you. china (the discharge destination for all dark fleet activity) might actually want to do something about these floating rust buckets if there's a chance they'll cause damage to their own environment

Article 110. even though US not UNCLOS signatory, it abides as do all member states. UNCLOS underpins 11 billion tonnes seaborne trade annually.

it's greek owned not dark. no time to check out, but all good. dark fleet won't call EU

The Dark Fleet Is Under Attack U.S. seizure of Skipper and targeted Ukrainian drone strikes mark a turning point for the dark fleet, exposing hundreds of false-flag tankers carrying sanctioned oil to rising legal and operational ri...

The Dark Fleet, Lifeline of Sanctioned Oil Revenues, is Under Attack.

Free to read @windward-ai.bsky.social blog that outlines the new and rapidly evolving strategy that's emerged to counter the dark fleet in Venezuela and the Black Sea
click on link:
windward.ai/blog/the-dar...

Ukraine’s Drone War on Dark Fleet Triggers Diplomatic Tensions, Heightens Black Sea Risk Ukraine’s drone strikes on dark fleet tankers are sparking Türkiye–Bulgaria tensions and exposing escalating security and compliance risks in the Black Sea.

the risk that false flag ships pose to coastal states now playing out in a pass-the-parcel standoff between Türkiye and Bulgaria over Kairos, which was attacked by Ukrainian drone on November 28. Turkish-flag tug "purposely" towed Kairos to Bulgaria waters and cut adrift
windward.ai/blog/ukraine...

@auonsson.bsky.social
@pa.nton.cx
@claudialanz.bsky.social

Gambia Deletes Shadow Fleet Tankers in Second Flag Governance Crackdown Gambia purges dozens of shadow-fleet tankers as pressure mounts on weak registries, exposing how sanctioned vessels exploit fraudulent flags to evade oversight.

the game of flag governance whack-a-mole continues. Gambia's government follows Comoros in cleaning up the mess left by private contractors running their ship registries. Spoiler alert: Russia hijacked them to ship sanctioned oil & deliver billions in revenue for Kremlin windward.ai/blog/gambia-...

I’ve seen this with Gambia ships that were deleted by govt (will post that story here in a sec). My guess is they’re exploiting lax provisional registration to find a temporary home, they’ll hop to another in a few weeks

Greece-Owned Tankers Exit Russia Crude Trades Ahead of U.S. Sanctions Deadline There’s been a drastic and immediate fall in the number of Greece-owned tankers lifting Russian crude to the lowest level since the invasion of Ukraine, amid widespread disruption ahead of a U.S. sanc...

Greek-owned tankers have largely underpinned oil price cap-compliant Russian crude shipments since the start of the war. Not any more windward.ai/blog/greece-...

On the front line of Europe's standoff with Russia's shadow fleet With Europe imposing sanctions on Moscow, there has been a growing network of vessels sailing without a valid flag from Russia through European waters.

A shadow fleet operating beyond flags, insurance, and basic safety is testing Europe’s security.

Windward’s @michellewb.bsky.social provides key insight to BBC on why the risks are intensifying and why “the dark fleet is getting darker.”

www.bbc.com/news/article...

well worth a read via Google translate, Jakob does great work on the shadow fleet in the Baltic

I've taken a look and will send off for investigation, a very uneconomic and strange trail

🚢 Windward’s #ShipoftheDay: Lion 1 (IMO 9384069).

Few dark fleet stories move this fast. In just five months, Lion 1 went from new owner to sanctioned tanker. 🧵👇