MCAD Maritime Cyber Attack Database
Year2024 |
MonthDecember |
Reference number20241214 |
Impact areaVessel |
Incident locationSea of Japan |
Incident countryJapan |
Victim countryJapan |
Victim identityVessels in the Sea of Japan Area |
Victim TypeVessels |
MethodAIS Spoofing |
Attacker countryPanama |
The Panama-flagged MR2 tanker Elkor (IMO: 9185499) was implicated in four distinct AIS spoofing incidents in the Sea of Japan between December 2024 and March 2025. During these voyages, the ship appeared to broadcast false location data, suggesting movement within international waters, while satellite imagery later confirmed it had docked at Vostochnyy port in Russia’s Far East, where clandestine loading took place. After broadcasting misleading positions for several days, Elkor backtracked along its route, and AIS draught readings indicated that cargo operations likely occurred during the spoofing window. This behavior is part of a broader pattern among non-designated "shadow fleet" tankers that use sophisticated spoofing tactics to mask sanctioned Russian oil exports, frequently transitioning to China following these covert operations
