Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
It consists of both military and civilian aircraft.
When talking about Putin’s Shadow Fleet, we think about the vast network of aging maritime tankers used to evade Western sanctions and caps when transporting Russian oil.
Last year, Reuters reported that industry sources estimate the size of the shadow fleet to be between 1,200 and 1,600 vessels.
But we may need to start calling the known Shadow Fleet the Maritime Shadow Fleet, as Putin actually has another fleet of this kind.
An airborne one.
Destination: Africa
New research by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS) reveals how Russia is using a network of both civilian and military aircraft to support the Russian presence in Africa.
Over 75 flights flew to the Sahel Region – a transitional belt in Africa spanning roughly 5,400 to 6,000 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea – between January 2025 and July 2026 alone, according to reporting by Euractiv.
It is a shadowy aerial supply web. The strategy closely mirrors Russia’s maritime shadow fleet, which bypasses Western oil limits with unsanctioned tankers.
Rather than relying solely on state planes, Moscow mixes official defense aircraft with private commercial carriers. A heavily sanctioned military carrier called Flight Unit 224 led the surge.
Yet several key operators avoid punishment entirely. Unsanctioned private airlines like Sapsan Airlines and Liz Aviation continue flying these crucial routes without facing any Western financial penalties.
Routes through hubs
Flight paths differ depending on who owns the aircraft. Russian state planes fly through military bases in Syria and Libya, whereas private jets pass through busy commercial hubs in Turkey, Algeria, and the UAE.
European lawmakers want this loophole closed immediately. Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovský urged EU leaders to act fast against the companies involved.
“If these aircraft and companies are knowingly transporting Russian military personnel or military-related cargo to support the Africa Corps, they should face targeted sanctions, regardless of where the aircraft are registered,” Zdechovský told Euractiv.
Expanding the bases
Libya now serves as the central node for these operations. The Africa Defense Forum, citing US intelligence data, reported that Moscow plans to upgrade six air bases across the country.
These expanded sites will soon support fighter jets, air defenses, and combat drones. That gives Russia a permanent launching pad across central and southern Africa.
Russian military moves are spreading far beyond Africa, too. In the Baltic Sea, a modern frigate packed with hypersonic missiles was recently spotted lingering near a German island.
