Wherever there are sanctions on trade, there will be smugglers, and Western restrictions on Russia are no exception. But in a world where every ship can be tracked from the heavens, smuggling takes on different—and surprisingly dangerous—forms. Some commercial vessels have begun disguising their travel by manipulating their automatic identification system (AIS) navigation software, the global shipping tracking setup that helps vessels avoid collisions, delays, and other risks. And Russian navy vessels, in turn, have been jamming other ships’ AIS. Such location manipulation clearly subverts the sanctions. Even more alarmingly, it puts other ships in danger. But the more the West’s sanctions bite, the more Russia is likely to adopt the techniques already pioneered by veteran sanctions-buster North Korea.
Take the Kapitan Schemilkin, a Russian-flagged vessel, that was located in the Black Sea at position 44° 46’ 09.2” N, 036° 50’ 28.3” E, as the ship-traffic site Marinetraffic.com reported on Dec. 10. The Russian-flagged oil tanker had departed from Istanbul on Dec. 4 and was sailing at 4.2 knots in a northwest direction, headed for the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, where it was expected to arrive on Dec. 6. It has not yet arrived at its supposed destination. Maritime intelligence sites often upload vessels’ data with some delay, but the Kapitan Schemilkin still traversing the Black Sea a week after its expected arrival date seemed odd.
There’s a likely answer to the Kapitan Schemilkin’s whereabouts: The tanker has been manipulating its automatic identification system. The AIS is a location transmission system used by commercial vessels to ensure that other vessels know where they are. For the past two decades, it has been mandatory for all tankers and passenger ships above 150 gross tonnage, for all vessels of more than 300 gross tonnage sailing between countries, and for all vessels above 500 gross tonnage sailing domestically. In practice, all commercial cargo and passenger vessels must use an AIS.
