![]() The phenomenon is largely driven by Russia-flagged and Iran-flagged ships and, in particular, the type of cargo ships capable of carrying weaponry, according to Bridget Diakun, a data analyst and reporter for Lloyd’s List, which specializes in analysis of global maritime trade.Īn International Maritime Organization resolution requires most vessels to carry a tracking system that automatically provides location and identification information to other ships and to coastal authorities. And the number of gaps in ships’ tracking data remains high so far in 2023, according to data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence. There’s been an overall jump in the number of vessels in the Caspian Sea turning off their tracking data between August and September of 2022, according to Kelly. It’s a “perfect environment for this trade to go unopposed,” Kelly added.ĬNN reached out to the governments of Iran and Russia for comment but did not receive a response. Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, all former Soviet republics, are the other nations with ports on the Caspian Sea. “There is no risk to Iranian exports in the Caspian Sea because of the bordering countries – they don’t have the capability or motive to interdict in these sorts of exchanges,” said Martin Kelly, lead intelligence analyst at security company EOS Risk Group. The Iranian drones deployed by Russia in Ukraine are powered by stolen Western technologyĪnd analysts say that Ukraine’s Western allies would have little power to stop such arms deliveries. Russia’s use of Iranian drones increased in the fall, including against critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine.Ī Shahed-136 UAV documented by CAR in Ukraine in November 2022 CAR That’s shortly after the United States and Ukrainian governments say Moscow acquired drones from Tehran last summer. Last year, data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence revealed a September spike in the number of gaps in vessels tracking data in the Caspian. Tracking data shows that vessels in the region are increasingly going “dark” – suggesting growing intent to obfuscate the movement of goods. But this sea route – which provides a direct path between Iran and Russia – is increasingly busy with cargo traffic, including suspected weapons transfers from Tehran to Moscow.Īs cooperation between the two countries deepens, the Caspian Sea route is being used to move drones, bullets, and mortar shells that the Russian government has purchased from the Iranian regime to bolster its war effort in Ukraine, according to experts. The waters of the Caspian Sea appear deceptively calm.
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