Russia’s “shadow fleet” tankers pose a threat of environmental disaster.

More than half of the so-called “shadow fleet” vessels used to transport Russian oil in defiance of sanctions may pose a serious threat to the environment due to their technical condition.

This was stated by the head of the world’s largest ship recycling company, GMS Partnership, Anil Sharma , as reported by the Financial Times.

According to him, the risk of a large-scale environmental disaster is growing every year, and a major oil spill is only a matter of time.

“Happiness is running out. Sooner or later, there will be a major oil spill,” Sharma noted, comparing the potential consequences to the 1979 accident, when a collision between two tankers resulted in the leak of more than 2 million barrels of oil.

He believes that at least a third of the ships in the “shadow fleet” need to be immediately scrapped, while more than 50% of such tankers may actually be dangerous.

Shipping broker Clarksons estimates that the “shadow fleet” includes about 1,800 vessels, of which about 1,500 are oil tankers.

Most of these vessels have been in service for over 20 years—this is the typical time after which cargo ships are decommissioned and sent for recycling. Experts warn that hull corrosion, equipment wear, and outdated systems significantly increase the risk of accidents during oil transportation.

As a reminder,Russia continues to expand its shadow fleet for transporting liquefied natural gas, which is subject to US sanctions.