Recent incidents at sea, including the interception of sanctioned ships and naval clashes, highlight the complex operations of the 'shadow fleet' and the growing political tensions between nations.

近期發生的海上事件，包括截獲受制裁船隻及海軍衝突，凸顯了「影子船隊」運作的複雜性，以及各國之間日益緊張的政治局勢。

The 'shadow fleet' is a network of ships that use deceptive registration and tracking methods to transport sanctioned goods. This fleet has grown rapidly after Western nations imposed economic sanctions on Russia and Iran. According to a 2024 study, this fleet expanded to about 1,100 vessels. These ships use tactics such as 'flag hopping'—changing their registered country—and turning off their tracking systems (AIS) to avoid being noticed by authorities. For example, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimated that 113 of these ships moved €4.7 billion worth of Russian oil in the first nine months of 2025.

「影子船隊」是一個利用欺騙性登記與追蹤手段來運輸受制裁貨物的船隻網絡。在西方國家對俄羅斯與伊朗實施經濟制裁後，該船隊迅速成長。根據 2024 年的一項研究，此船隊已擴展至約 1,100 艘船隻。這些船隻採取如「跳旗」——即變更登記國家——以及關閉自動識別系統 (AIS) 等策略，以規避當局偵測。例如，能源與清潔空氣研究中心估計，在 2025 年前九個月中，有 113 艘此類船隻運送了價值 47 億歐元的俄羅斯石油。

International efforts to enforce these sanctions have led to direct legal and military confrontations. In the waters near Oman, the United States attacked three commercial tankers to maintain a naval blockade of Iran, as these ships had hidden ownership and were under sanctions. Similarly, the United Kingdom has increased security in the English Channel. After seizing the Smyrtos, a ship without a registered flag, the UK showed it is ready to board ships that do not follow the rules. However, experts emphasize that there is a difference between stopping ships with no flag and those flying a national flag, such as the Russian ship Forwarder, which continues to travel through the Channel.

國際社會執行制裁的努力導致了直接的法律與軍事對峙。在阿曼附近海域，美國攻擊了三艘商業油輪以維持對伊朗的海軍封鎖，因為這些船隻隱瞞所有權且處於受制裁狀態。同樣地，英國也加強了英吉利海峽的安保。在扣押一艘未登記國旗的船隻 Smyrtos 後，英國表明已準備好登稽查不遵守規則的船隻。然而，專家強調，攔截無國籍船隻與攔截掛有國家國旗的船隻（如俄羅斯船隻 Forwarder，其仍持續通過海峽）之間存在差異。

These tensions have also resulted in smaller, tactical conflicts. A recent encounter between the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich and a British civilian yacht, the Bright Future, shows how unstable the maritime environment has become. While the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed the yacht approached too closely, the UK Ministry of Defence asserted that the Russian ship was out of control and that the warning shots fired were unnecessary. This event happened as Russian naval ships may be escorting sanctioned tankers to ensure that energy exports continue to flow.

這些緊張局勢也導致了較小規模的戰術衝突。近期俄羅斯巡邏艦 Admiral Grigorovich 與英國平民遊艇 Bright Future 的遭遇，顯示出海上環境已變得極不穩定。儘管俄羅斯國防部聲稱該遊艇靠得太近，但英國國防部則主張俄方船隻失去控制，且發射警告槍完全沒有必要。此次事件發生時，俄羅斯海軍船隻可能正在護送受制裁油輪，以確保能源出口能持續運作。

The continued use of shadow fleets to avoid international sanctions has increased the number of maritime disputes and the risk of naval escalations.

持續利用影子船隊以規避國際制裁，增加了海上爭端以及海軍衝突升級的風險。