Ships traveling near the Red Sea and Persian Gulf have begun transmitting false Russian and Chinese affiliations to avoid potential attacks, Reuters reported, citing maritime risk analytics firm Windward and vessel tracking data.
Although a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Iran earlier this week, Ami Daniel, the CEO of Windward, said shipping companies remain skeptical about vessel safety in the area.
Windward said 55 vessels sent a total of 101 atypical ID messages, such as “China owned” or “Russian crude,” between June 12 and 24 in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.
The firm said these were likely used to reduce the risk of being mistaken for 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.”
News of ships disguising vessel identities comes as the West continues to sanction what it sees as Russian-linked maritime activity.
The EU and US have accused Moscow and its trade partners of using a “shadow fleet” of tankers operating outside Western insurance rules to bypass sanctions.
Russia has repeatedly denounced the sanctions against its shipping sector as illegal. Presidential aide Nikolay Patrushev earlier warned that Western efforts to hinder Russian maritime transit through international straits were “de facto acts of piracy,” adding that such moves increasingly resemble a “naval blockade.” He said Russia is prepared to deploy its navy to safeguard navigation.
The United States government has been tightening sanctions on Houthi rebels to limit weapon shipments and reduce threat to maritime trade. And recently it revealed a long list of connections between the Houthi rebels and Russia, and that the rebels had avoided targeting Russian and Chinese vessels in its campaign of deadly attacks on merchant vessels off Yemen’s coast, including ships transiting the southern Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
Houthis, who guaranteed safe passage to Russian and Chinese ships, continue to threaten international shipping. This have led to the re-routing of global supply chains as ship owners and operators took the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Houthi threat in the Red Sea.