Since Western sanctions targeted Russian crude, a shadow fleet of aging tankers has kept the oil money flowing into Moscow's war chest. This DW investigation follows how manipulated ship transponders, letterbox companies, and opaque trade routes let Russian oil reach global markets undetected, using leaked documents and exclusive footage to trace the network. Interviews include relatives of sailors who have gone missing at sea, experts who study ship manipulation and transponder spoofing, and politicians pushing for tighter sanctions enforcement. The film also links some of these tankers to damage on undersea cables, raising the stakes beyond oil revenue alone. It doesn't let the West off the hook either: international insurers, shippers, and service companies are shown profiting from the same shadow operations, often while cutting corners on safety and environmental protection. The reporting moves between ports, shipping records, and testimony from people directly affected, building a picture of a sanctions regime full of holes and the businesses, Russian and Western alike, quietly exploiting them.