The number of abandoned oil tankers and commercial ships worldwide has sharply increased. In 2025, 410 ships were abandoned, affecting 6,223 merchant sailors, up nearly one-third from 2024. Ivan, a Russian senior deck officer, spoke from an abandoned tanker near China. He described severe shortages of food and essentials. "The crew was hungry, the crew was angry, and we tried to survive only day-by-day," he said. The tanker carries nearly 750,000 barrels of Russian crude oil worth about $50 million. It left Russia's Far East for China in November and was abandoned by December after crew wages went unpaid for months. The ship remains in international waters and China has not allowed it into port due to scrutiny. The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) helped get the crew paid up to December and supplied food and water. Some crew members have returned home, but most remain onboard. The rise in abandoned ships is linked to geopolitical instability, the Covid pandemic, and supply chain issues. Another cause is the growth of “shadow fleets,” which are older, unsafe vessels with obscure ownership and often no insurance. These ships sail under flags of convenience (FOCs)—countries with little regulation—to evade sanctions and export oil, mainly from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. FOCs like Panama, Liberia, the Marshall Islands, and more recently The Gambia, play a big role. In 2025, 82% of abandoned ships sailed under FOCs. The ITF warns these ships put crews at great risk. According to the International Maritime Organisation, seafarers are abandoned if owners fail to pay wages or support them. Stephen Cotton, ITF General Secretary, said, "Abandonment isn't an accident." Indian sailors were the most affected nationality last year, with 1,125 abandoned. The Indian government has blacklisted 86 foreign vessels over seafarer rights abuses. Nautilus International calls for stricter links between ship owners and flag states, a key maritime law requirement but lacking a universal definition. Ivan’s tanker sailed under a false Gambian flag and is now accepted under another African nation’s flag, which has opened an inquiry. The tanker’s situation may be settled after oil is transferred off in open sea. Ivan plans to check future ship conditions carefully, saying, "I will have a proper discussion about the vessel's condition, about payment and provisions. And turn to the internet, where we can see which vessels are banned, which vessels are under sanction." Protecting crews like Ivan’s will require global cooperation against the hazards of shadow fleets and maritime abandonment.