# Inside the "Shadow Fleet" That Russia and Iran Use to Evade Sanctions

An episode of [Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/593535863), 26 Oct 2026, 29 min.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/undispatch/GD_Nitya_10232026_MIX.mp3?dest-id=125334

Over the last several years, a vast network of aging oil tankers operating under opaque ownership structures has emerged as a critical lifeline for countries facing Western sanctions—particularly Russia and Iran. This so-called shadow fleet now accounts for about 20% of all seaborne oil transport worldwide. Joining me to discuss how this rogue network of tankers evades Western sanctions, and whether we are witnessing the emergence of a parallel maritime trading system, is Nitya Labh of Chatham House.

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