Comoros: How Its Maritime Flag Powers Russia’s Shadow Fleet

Comoros: How Its Maritime Flag Powers Russia’s Shadow Fleet

A small Island at the heart of a global network Under President Azali Assoumani, the Comoros maritime flag has become a discreet but vital tool in Russia’s effort to bypass Western oil sanctions. Since 2022, as the war in Ukraine dragged on, the number of Russian-linked tankers registered under the Comorian flag has surged dramatically. In 2025 alone, 110 Comorian-flagged ships were blacklisted by the European Union, the United States, and the U…