SHADOW fleet* tankers are manipulating their positional data in the Sea of Japan to hide loadings at Russia’s far east ports.

A total of 11 spoofing incidents since December 2024, involving seven ships, were identified using Lloyd’s List Intelligence vessel-tracking data.

The tankers, four medium range two, two aframaxes and a suezmax, can be tracked using Automatic Identification System data sailing into the Sea of Japan towards Russia.

Their positional information is spoofed at this point to show the ships sailing around this area.

Then, after several days of transmitting fake locations, they backtrack along the route they came.

The draught information is often adjusted after the spoofing event, suggesting the tankers loaded during the period they were hiding their activity.

Panama-flagged MR2 Elkor (IMO: 9185499), for example, manipulates its AIS data in four separate incidents between December 2024 and March 2025.

On its last voyage, a satellite image shows a dark vessel of the same size and the same characteristics as Elkor berthed at the port of Vostochnyy.

Exports from Vostochnyy are not likely the only activity happening during the spoofing events.

While most tankers “disappear” in a similar position to Elkor, there are some instances where the ships start spoofing further north and more easterly, making ports such as Vostochnyy or Kozmino unlikely destinations.

There is also other demand for non-designated shadow fleet tankers in Nakhodka Bay.

Lloyd’s List previously reported on this area becoming a new hub for shadowy ship-to-ship transfers.

Tankers not designated by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control can be tracked disabling and manipulating their AIS to hide STS transfers in Nakhodka Bay with Ofac-designated ships.

This cargo is then delivered to China.

Of the ships tracked manipulating their AIS in the Sea of Japan, most sail to China directly after the spoofing event.