Europe is taking tougher action against tankers falsely using Cameroon’s flag registry to transport Russian oil, including boarding vessels at sea. This move has prompted Cameroon to dump 39 such vessels from its ship registry, according to officials and documents.

Background

Russia has used such tankers, which are typically older and lack known Western insurance or safety certification, to skirt sanctions by sailing under the flags of various nations to obscure their true ownership, cargo, and movements.

Three tankers boarded and inspected by the EU’s naval mission in the Mediterranean, the Nelsa, the Oneiroi, and the Sandhya, were found to be using fraudulent Cameroonian registration, according to two European military sources.

Nine other ships have been seized by the French, Belgian, British, and Swedish navies since the start of 2026, including five with Cameroonian flags.

Response from Cameroon

Cameroon has warned in recent months that its registry has been misused by shadow fleet tankers transporting Russian oil. In a letter sent to the U.N. shipping agency, Cameroon’s government said an official investigation revealed several vessels were unlawfully operating under the country’s flag and that two websites were fraudulently being used to assign the flag to ships.

The government said it had de-listed 39 ships as a consequence and is cooperating with international authorities and organizations to enforce maritime rules, protect the credibility of its naval registry, and fight against irregular registrations.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.