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Digital Disguise: The Scourge of AIS Spoofing

Klaus Dodds and Caroline Kennedy-Pipe
29 October 2026clock10 Minute Read
Aerial drone footage of the 'Kairos' tanker from the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet near the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

Seen from the sky: Aerial drone footage of the 'Kairos' tanker from the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet near the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Image: Todor Stoyanov / Alamy Stock

Spoofed ship-tracking signals are turning a maritime safety system into a tool of sanctions evasion and hybrid warfare, from Antarctica to the High North.

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WRITTEN BY

Klaus Dodds

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Caroline Kennedy-Pipe

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