At least 12 sanctioned tankers associated with Russia’s “shadow fleet” transmitted false location data in the Black Sea. Six of them simultaneously broadcast two positions — one real and one fictitious — according to a Financial Times investigation.
According to Novaya Gazeta Europe’s account of the FT investigation, the ships manipulated signals from the Automatic Identification System, or AIS. The system allows other maritime traffic to track ships’ positions. Broadcasting false coordinates creates a misleading picture of their movements.
One example cited in the investigation is the tanker Pirop. According to the FT, on August 27 the vessel simultaneously transmitted signals placing it near the Bosphorus and at a location roughly 800 kilometers away.
Experts interviewed by the FT have suggested several possible explanations, including attempts to make sanctioned ships harder to track and to protect them from drone attacks. These are expert hypotheses, not verified statements by the tankers’ owners about their motives.