Q2's Top 9 Maritime Risks for Commercial & Government Trade

Shipping endured its deadliest, most disrupted quarter since the tanker wars of the 1980s. Military forces attacked and boarded commercial vessels across the Persian Gulf and Black Sea, Russia's shadow fleet evolved into a state-directed warfare platform, and deceptive shipping practices hit all-time highs.

This report, produced by Windward's Maritime Intelligence Operations Center (MIOC), examines how these pressures converged in Q2, from Hormuz and the Black Sea to dark fleet behavior and deceptive shipping practices, and the rising cost of operating in contested waters.

Hormuz traffic collapsed by 88%, trapping 800 ships and leaving 7,500 seafarers stranded at quarter-end.
Dark activity surged nearly fivefold, with Russia alone logging almost 4,000 AIS disablement events.
Windward's Dark Fleet grew past 2,180 vessels, half of them sanctioned.
GPS jamming and spoofing generated 3.35 million false ship-to-ship meetings since Operation Epic Fury began.
275 tankers sailed under fraudulent flags, including two brand-new registries invented to dodge sanctions.
European forces boarded seven Russian shadow fleet tankers in a single quarter, signaling tougher enforcement ahead.

Inside the Report:

Uncover Q2’s Biggest Maritime Risks