More than two dozen sanctioned tankers have switched to a Russian flag since the start of December as a means of avoiding seizure by U.S. forces, Bloomberg has reported, citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence. As many as 26 tankers are currently sailing under a Russian flag, compared to only six in November and 14 for the five months to November, the data showed. The switches accelerated after the United States seized the tanker Skipper off the Venezuelan coast in early December, Bloomberg noted in its report. There are 1,500 tankers…
