How the sanctioned fleet grew

Every count on this page comes from the listings in this database. The landmarks are dated public acts, included because each changed what the lists could do.

Vessels listed per quarter

When each authority started listing vessels

"First dated listing" is the earliest designation date this site holds for that authority, which for the US predates the shadow-fleet era by a decade because the same programs cover Iran and Venezuela.

Landmarks

1. 1 January 2019Venezuela oil designations begin in earnest

   US measures connected to the state oil company start to reach tankers and their operators.

   Primary document

2. 14 May 2020Joint US advisory on deceptive shipping practices

   State, Treasury and the Coast Guard publish the practices that later define shadow-fleet analysis: transponder gaps, transfers at sea, falsified documents.

   Primary document

3. 24 February 2022Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine

   The starting point for the EU, UK and allied Russia regimes that produced most of the vessel listings on this site.

   Primary document

4. 5 December 2022G7 price cap applies to Russian crude

   Coalition maritime services become conditional on the cargo being sold at or below the cap, splitting the tanker market in two.

   Primary document

5. 5 February 2023Price cap extended to refined products

   The same mechanism applies to petroleum products, widening the trade that moves outside coalition services.

   Primary document

6. 6 December 2023IMO Assembly adopts resolution A.1192(33)

   The IMO names the "dark fleet" problem and frames it as safety and registration integrity, not only sanctions.

   Primary document

7. 25 June 2024EU creates the Annex XLII vessel list

   Article 3s enters into force and the first vessels are barred from EU ports and services. This is a port ban, not an asset freeze.

   Primary document

The largest single days

Days on which one authority listed twenty or more hulls at once. These are the sanctions packages and designation waves that produced most of the fleet.