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Starboard Maritime Intelligence
@starboardintelligence.com
World-leading maritime intelligence platform enabling governments, defence & industry to understand activity across the world’s oceans.
A 290-mile wall of ships.

Watch as 1,700+ vessels move in the East China Sea (23–28 Dec). @nytimes.com reports this as a "quietly mobilized" barrier.

Starboard Maritime Intelligence provided the data verification behind this analysis. 🧵
January 16, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Great to work with @en.afp.com to help with their coverage of Maritime Cook Islands and the Cook Islands Registry.

Former Royal New Zealand Navy officer @maritimekiwi.bsky.social said some 150 foreign tankers were registered in the Cook Islands at its busiest point in 2024.
EXCLUSIVE: Pacific island office enabling sanctions-busting 'shadow fleets'

Dozens of oil tankers suspected of smuggling contraband crude for Russia and Iran have been using a beachside office in the Cook Islands to cover their tracks, an AFP analysis of sanctions data reveals

u.afp.com/ShR8
January 15, 2026 at 9:18 PM
At least ten sanctioned vessels... are falsely flying under the flag of Tonga, according to Wellington-based @starboardintelligence.com.

@maritimekiwi.bsky.social told RNZ Pacific it would be highly unusual for Tonga to flag oil tankers, given their ship registry closed all the way back in 2002.
January 15, 2026 at 7:39 PM
A great piece by @richardholmes.bsky.social of @theipaper.com

A falsely flagged shadow fleet tanker, sanctioned by the UK, US and EU, travelled through UK territorial waters off of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, according to data provided by Starboard Maritime Intelligence.

www.msn.com/en-ie/news/w...
MSN
www.msn.com
January 14, 2026 at 9:42 AM
The reflagging of the MARINERA was not an isolated incident. It was a part of a growing trend.

Starboard analysis has identified 30 sanctioned vessels reflagging to Russia in just the last 2 months. This is a coordinated, state-level absorption of shadow tonnage.

Watch the fleet emerge globally:
January 14, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Grateful to @telegraph.co.uk for citing our work tracking these tankers.

“The exact courses and destinations of the tankers are unknown but satellite imagery by Starboard Maritime Intelligence showed them heading towards either Africa or Europe.”

www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...
January 10, 2026 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
The action was following the publication of this article by Sealight which used @starboardintelligence.com data to investigate a dredger operating in the area using some very interesting AIS details…

www.sealight.live/posts/the-hy...
The Hydra of Manila Bay
One dredger, six flags, thirty identities. What game is the dredger Kang Ling 539 playing, and why hasn't anyone in Manila put a stop to it?
www.sealight.live
January 7, 2026 at 2:16 AM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
@tankertrackers.com I can see where the four in the @nytimes.com article (BERTHA, VESNA, and VERONICA III). I'm guessing you also clocked these four that @starboardintelligence.com spotted west of Granada on 5 January - any idea who they are?
January 7, 2026 at 8:44 AM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
Thanks @pa.nton.cx for the heads up - MARINERA and mystery vessel on Sentinel-2 imagery around 19:00h UTC, 06 January. Appears likely to be the USCG: www.twz.com/news-feature...
January 7, 2026 at 4:05 AM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
From @richardholmes.bsky.social

“The British government fear a US operation to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker 200 miles off British waters could spark retaliation from Vladimir Putin… It is due to pass into European waters within hours, according to data provided by @starboardintelligence.com
Putin's runaway tanker is 200 miles off UK waters. And US forces are massing in Britain
UK and European officials fear a US attempt to seize the vessel could provoke retaliation from Moscow
inews.co.uk
January 6, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Happy to be working with @conorgallagher.bsky.social and @irishtimes.com to track MARINERA as she approaches the Irish EEZ.

“Satellite data provided by the analysis company @starboardintelligence.com, showed the Marinera sailing at speed northeast across the Atlantic on Friday afternoon”
January 3, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
Tanker pursued by the U.S. for two weeks switches to Russian registry and heads north at top speed

The “Marinera,” previously known as the Bella 1, evaded the U.S. Coast Guard after leaving the waters off Venezuela. It was last in the North Atlantic, as per data from @starboardintelligence.com.
Tanker pursued by the U.S. for two weeks switches to Russian registry and heads north at top speed
An oil tanker that has been trying to evade the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean since Dec. 15 has been officially renamed and entered into Russia’s registry of vessels, according to a report by...
theins.press
January 1, 2026 at 11:00 PM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
Great to work with Weilun Soon from Bloomberg on their coverage of the US actions off Venezuela

“While the US has sanctioned numerous vessels and organizations, it hasn’t stemmed the flow. Physical boarding is the next step,” said @maritimekiwi.bsky.social from @starboardintelligence.com.
December 27, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
Attacks force Russia’s “shadow fleet” tankers to reroute along Turkey’s Black Sea coast

The Insider has confirmed, using @starboardintelligence.com data, that the routes of at least two vessels — sanctioned tankers Torx and Jumbo — to Russia changed. They are now sailing closer to Turkey's coast.
Attacks force Russia’s “shadow fleet” tankers to reroute along Turkey’s Black Sea coast
Tankers belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” have changed their routes when transiting the Black Sea following a series of recent attacks on vessels carrying Russian commodities, The Insider...
theins.press
December 19, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
Ukraine says it attacked a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time

The multi-stage plan resulted in the SBU’s Alpha unit striking the tanker Qendil. The Insider reviewed the ship's movements using @starboardintelligence.com data.
Ukraine says it attacked a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time
For the first time, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has attacked a tanker belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in the Mediterranean Sea, anonymous sources in the SBU told RBC-Ukraine. The i...
theins.press
December 19, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
Ukraine claims first Sea Baby underwater drone strike on Russian Kilo-class submarine in Novorossiysk

The submarine was docked in Novorossiysk after Ukrainian drone attacks pushed much of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet out of occupied Crimea.
Ukraine claims first Sea Baby underwater drone strike on Russian Kilo-class submarine in Novorossiysk
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported earlier today that it had carried out a joint operation with the Ukrainian Navy to destroy a Russian Kilo-class (“Varshavyanka”) submarine in the Black S...
theins.press
December 15, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Drone strikes in the Black Sea and vessel seizures in the Caribbean: states are testing jurisdiction against "stateless" vessels.

@maritimekiwi.bsky.social co-authored this important piece with NU Singapore's Dr Trung Nguyen for @opiniojuris.bsky.social.

opiniojuris.org/2025/12/15/b...
Baltic Backdrop: Sanctions Evasion and the Legal Limits of Maritime Enforcement
[Mr Mark Douglas is a Maritime Domain Analyst at Starboard Maritime Intelligence. He qualified as a Marine Engineer Officer while in the Royal New Zealand Navy. He later concurrently served as New …
opiniojuris.org
December 16, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
@mattnippert.bsky.social’s full report, including in interview he recorded with me earlier in the year, is now available. Well worth a read!
As promised, this story has now come out from behind the paywall. Cheapskates, fill your boots. www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...
December 9, 2025 at 4:59 PM
While standard monitoring systems showed empty ocean, Starboard successfully detected and tracked this "dark" PLA(N) Surface Action Group in the Philippine Sea.

We identified a Type 075 LHD, Type 052D Destroyer, Type 054A Frigate, and Type 903A Replenishment vessel.

#MaritimeSecurity #OSINT
December 2, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
A great two page spread in the Weekend Herald - one on NZ’s two large papers - with yours truely standing over it all looking vaguely annoyed about the whole situation.
November 29, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Critical intelligence from @pa.nton.cx on the registry document, and @maikmarahrens.bsky.social on the immediate operational impact.

This video tracks the rise of the Benin flag: from a single vessel in July to 40+ tankers today. A clear visualization of coordinated identity laundering at scale.
November 25, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Illuminating the shadow fleet: Data fusion in action.

An investigation by Matt Nippert in the NZ Herald shows the complexity of the global shadow fleet. Our own @maritimekiwi.bsky.social supported this inquiry, turning vast maritime data into clear evidence.

www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...
Cook Islands flag tangled in Russia’s shadow fleet scandal
SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: How shadow fleets made the Cook Islands flag inconvienent.
www.nzherald.co.nz
November 24, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
Latvian Navy intercepts Russian tug Nina Sokolova in Baltic Sea, vessel suspected of probing undersea infrastructure

Data from @starboardintelligence.com shows the two vessels came into close proximity multiple times over the course of several hours on Nov. 19.
Latvian Navy intercepts Russian tug Nina Sokolova in Baltic Sea, vessel suspected of probing undersea infrastructure
On Nov. 19, the Latvian Navy’s Imanta (M-04) minehunter intercepted the Russian ship Nina Sokolova in the international waters of the Baltic Sea, The Insider determined using data from the Starboard M...
theins.press
November 22, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by Starboard Maritime Intelligence
Interception or Drifting?
The claim of a "US Warship Blocks Russian Tanker" is a compelling headline, but I have yet to see published evidence that a US vessel was involved, while the tanker’s movements and ownership—while highly questionable—are not fully consistent with the story.
November 23, 2025 at 3:37 AM
A new video details how Starboard delivers actionable maritime intelligence to counter illicit activity at sea.

Watch here: youtu.be/2zcuuNzRqSA

We analyse billions of data points—from satellite to subsea—helping safeguard vital trade routes and critical subsea infrastructure.
Meet The Ship Software Start-Up Catching Traffickers
YouTube video by Madison Malone
youtu.be
November 14, 2025 at 8:14 PM