Ships in the Red Sea Alter Identities to Mitigate Attack Risks – Reuters
Ships navigating the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf have adopted false Russian and Chinese affiliations to minimize the risk of attacks, according to a report from Reuters. The maritime risk analytics firm Windward and vessel tracking data indicate this shift in vessel identification is a response to increased security threats in the region.
Iran has issued a warning to block the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. strikes, while the Iran-backed Houthis have previously targeted Western vessels. A ceasefire was brokered between Israel and Iran earlier this week, yet shipping companies remain skeptical about vessel safety in the area.
The threat of attacks has led to a significant increase in non-standard identification messages from ships. Windward reported that between June 12 and June 24, 55 vessels transmitted a total of 101 non-standard identification messages, such as ‘China owned’ or ‘Russian crude.’ These messages aim to reduce the risk of being misidentified as Western or Israel-linked ships. A Panama-flagged ship en route to Pakistan signaled ‘PKKHI all Chinese,’ while a Singapore-flagged vessel transmitted ‘Vsl no link Israel.’
Under normal circumstances, vessels typically communicate destinations or neutral terms like ‘For Orders,’ while some use ‘Armed Guards on Board’ in high-risk zones. However, after Israel’s strikes on Iran, the use of non-standard messages has spiked, extending from the Red Sea into the Persian Gulf.
News of ships disguising their identities occurs amid the West’s ongoing sanctions against what it sees as Russian-linked maritime activity. The EU and U.S. have criticized Moscow and its trade partners for using a ‘shadow fleet’ of tankers operating outside Western insurance rules to bypass sanctions. In May, the EU blacklisted an additional 189 vessels, increasing the total to 342, with more sanctions under discussion in Brussels.
Russia has consistently denounced the sanctions against its shipping sector as illegal. Presidential aide Nikolay Patrushev warned that Western efforts to restrict Russian maritime transit through international straits constitute ‘de facto acts of piracy,’ and stated the measures increasingly appear as a ‘naval blockade.’ He emphasized that Russia is prepared to deploy its naval forces to protect maritime navigation.
Despite the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran, some shipping companies remain cautious, with Ami Daniel, CEO of Windward, noting that the complexity of the shipping industry has led to challenges in verifying vessel ownership and nationalities. This uncertainty has made it difficult to ascertain which ships are more vulnerable to attacks from the U.S., UK, or Israel.