Michelle Wiese Bockmann
@michellewb.bsky.social
1.5K followers 130 following 130 posts
Michelle Wiese Bockmann, Adelaide-born, London-based maritime intelligence analyst & writer. Tanker tracker & expert in deceptive shipping practices, the 'dark fleet' & global trade with experience spanning 25 years across 3 continents. Views my own.
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michellewb.bsky.social
zombie tankers are stalking the oceans. find out about this one which I've been watching for quite a while. thinking of doing a halloween special on them!
windward-ai.bsky.social
Zombie ships are a fixture of the Iran-China oil trades.

Windward's Ship of the Day, Wood Lotus (IMO 9252979), a perfect example of the genre haunting the oceans. 🧵👇
Reposted by Michelle Wiese Bockmann
windward-ai.bsky.social
The rise of the dark fleet has evolved into a global compliance challenge. Windward’s @michellewb.bsky.social, featured in @economist.com, shares how deceptive tactics went “on steroids” after 2022.
economist.com
The escalating grey-zone conflict between the West and Russia is being contested on the sea as well as in the air. A rise in worrying maritime incidents is forcing NATO to step up econ.st/3ILHiM8

Photo: Reuters
michellewb.bsky.social
vessel is likely heading to Freeport with price cap-compliant cargo of gasoline/blending components (Vortexa/Windward) info. nothing awry here IMO. patches of lost transmission may have an operational explanation. as this is not a 'dark fleet' tanker and the cargo is compliant, no reason 2 go dark
michellewb.bsky.social
apparently yes, Magnus, Spring Fortune and Jewel 1 are in the Equasis database as falsely flagged with Gambia as of Sept 30
michellewb.bsky.social
here's the next @windward-ai.bsky.social Ship of the Day from our series telling the stories of the dark fleet one tanker at a time....
windward-ai.bsky.social
🚢 Windward's #ShipoftheDay: Lumin (IMO 9330599).

Lumin has the infamous distinction to become the first ship tracked sailing the false flag of Maldives, making this the 13th fraudulent registry identified by Windward to be used by tankers shipping sanctioned Iranian, Venezuelan and Iranian oil. 🧵👇
michellewb.bsky.social
adding more to this Ship of the Day given Boracay's strange AIS tracking 28/29 Sept which allegedly now place it off France.
michellewb.bsky.social
Watching this with interest
pmolpmol.bsky.social
DRONES OVER DENMARK: The tanker Pushpa, near Danish airports during the Sept 22 & 24 incidents, has suddenly stopped off France. It’s now anchored at Nantes. I’m trying to learn if French authorities are involved. Anyone know more?
michellewb.bsky.social
The @windward-ai.bksy.social "Ship of the Day" is topical as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's accuses Russia of using the dark fleet to carry out drone attacks targeting cities across Europe. Boracay changed name and flag approximately ~10 hours before drone attack on Copenhagen airport
windward-ai.bsky.social
🚢 Windward's Ship of the Day: Boracay (IMO 9332810).

This false-flagged, Russia-trading tanker made headlines after Denmark named it as one of 3 ships possibly used as a launch point for drones that closed Copenhagen’s airport last week.
🧵👇

abcnews.go.com/Internationa...
michellewb.bsky.social
follow @windward-ai.bsky.social for our Ship of the Day series which tells the story of the dark fleet one tanker at a time. today's vessel is below
windward-ai.bsky.social
🚢 Windward's Ship of the Day: Coba (IMO 9235737).

Sanctioned by the US for shipping Iranian oil, this aging VLCC with a checkered history has been detained and now sits in a repair yard on Daishan Island, near Shanghai. 🧵👇
michellewb.bsky.social
yet another false flag found -- the Maldives. adding to my list of 12 other registries that are being used by tankers (most sanctioned)...
pa.nton.cx
Latest false flag: Maldives.

As I previously warned, the GISIS profile of Maldives has been updated by the 'Marinegov', to point to a false website.

Now we see the first ships flag hop to this new flag.

🔥 sketchy.boats/9330599
michellewb.bsky.social
the ships has sailed at slow speed over the Est-Link 2 cable 3 times in 24 hours
michellewb.bsky.social
just what is this sanctioned, false-flag ship doing?
Reposted by Michelle Wiese Bockmann
financialtimes.com
The Heng Yang 9 has been spotted making an unprecedented series of stops at Sevastopol, which has been under western sanctions since 2014 on.ft.com/4gHNelU
Reposted by Michelle Wiese Bockmann
pa.nton.cx
After a couple of days stopover in French territorial waters, false flagged VELON 1 continues its journey.
michellewb.bsky.social
Ships are labeled by the International Maritime Organization as falsely flagged once confirmed by the flag administration that it is not legally registered with that country’s flag.
michellewb.bsky.social
Comoros along with Gambia and Sierra Leone, are among the biggest providers of ship registry services to sanctioned tankers, as permissive flags such as Gabon, Barbados, Cook Islands, Panama, and others expel them from their fleets — triggering record levels of flag hopping among dark fleet vessels.
michellewb.bsky.social
Flag governance has emerged as critical for countering the dark fleet of sanctions-circumventing tankers which have exploited lax technical oversight and management at privately run registries.
michellewb.bsky.social
There are now 62 tankers, three liquefied petroleum gas carriers and one tug declared as falsely flying the Comoros flag, according to the EU’s Equasis database.
Reposted by Michelle Wiese Bockmann
yoruk.bsky.social
On the 1291th day since Russia attacked Ukraine: Greek shipping giant Andreas Martinos owned, Malta flag Minerva Joy transited Bosphorus on Sept7 carrying jet fuel from Novatek’s Ust Luga condensate splitter to Istanbul Grand Airport. In2025, Novatek was the only non-Turkish jetfuel supplier to IGA
Reposted by Michelle Wiese Bockmann
chriso-wiki.bsky.social
1/ The Russian Black Sea Fleet is reportedly in a "systemic crisis" due to manpower problems, a recruitment campaign that is mainly attracting "chronic alcoholics and drug addicts", and ongoing systemic corruption involving stealing repair funds for unseaworthy ships. ⬇️
Reposted by Michelle Wiese Bockmann
pa.nton.cx
False flagged MONTE 1 entering the Baltic.

This marks the 50th ship to transit the Baltic after NB8++ statement, that false flagged ships "are not entitled to rights under [UNCLOS], including freedom of navigation".

Apparently they still enjoy those rights.

🔥 sketchy.boats/9297553