Shadow Fleet

The tanker is involved in the transportation of russian crude oil/petroleum products from FSO IMO 9448968, owned and operated by the russian company Lukoil-Nizhnevolzhskneft LLC (TIN 3444070534), one of the largest oil producers engaged in the exploration and development of oil and gas fields in the Caspian and Azov Seas and a 100% subsidiary of the sanctioned PJSC LUKOIL. The FSO FSO IMO 9448968 floating storage facility is designed to store russian oil from the Yuri Korchagin field located in russian waters in the northern Caspian Sea, 180 km from Astrakhan and 240 km from Makhachkala. The field was discovered by the sanctioned russian company Lukoil in 2000. Hydrocarbons from the storage facility are delivered ashore to Makhachkala by shuttle tankers weighing between 6,000 and 12,000 tons. In Makhachkala, the oil is fed into the Novorossiysk Makhachkala pipeline, which is operated by the Azerbaijani state-owned company SOCAR together with the russian sanctioned company PJSC Transneft (TIN 7706061801).
The tanker IMO 9397676 engages in dark activity near Makhachkala after making calls to the FSO IMO 9448968.
In June 2025, Canada imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The tanker is involved in the transportation of Iranian and russian crude oil and petroleum products.
The vessel resorts to deceptive practices, including manipulation of the vessel's location and dark activities near Malaysia.
The tanker is affiliated with the shipping empire of Iranian oil magnate and major arms supplier to russia Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani through the company OCEANLINK MARITIME DMCC.
On April 04, 2024, the USA imposed sanctions on the tanker ІМО 9281683, involved in cooperation with the sanctioned Iranian company Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars Company in the delivery of Iranian goods. Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars Company controls a network of front companies in Iran and other jurisdictions through which Iranian goods are sold in favor of the Ministry of Defense and Logistics of the Armed Forces of Iran (MODAFL) and the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS).
Since December 16, 2024, the EU has imposed sanctions on the tanker for the transportation of crude oil or petroleum products originating in or exported from russia, using irregular high-risk shipping practices as set out in the International Maritime Organization General Assembly Resolution A.1192(33).
On December 23, 2024, Switzerland imposed sanctions on the vessel in connection with the transportation of crude oil or petroleum products originating in or exported from russia, using irregular and risky shipping practices, as set out in the resolution of the General Assembly of the International Maritime Organization A.1192(33).
In June 2025, Canada imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The VLCC-class tanker is involved in the transportation of sanctioned Iranian, Venezuelan, and russian crude oil.
Many tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil to countries such as China are also involved in Venezuelan trade, including tanker IMO 9283801. On June 11, 2022, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi signed a 20-year cooperation agreement to expand ties in the oil and petrochemical industries, as well as in the military and economic spheres. Since then, bilateral ties have begun to develop. Most cargo is transported by ships belonging to the sanctioned National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) in both directions. A significant number of ships flying under foreign (non-Iranian) flags are also involved in this trade.
Between December 2023 and May 2024, russia used the vessel IMO 9283801 to transport russian crude oil to third countries via STS transfers of wet cargo.
On April 16, 2025, the US imposed sanctions on a tanker for transporting Iranian oil to refineries in China, which provide vital multibillion-dollar revenues for the Iranian regime and its allies.

The VLCC tanker is involved in the transportation of Iranian oil, as well as in the export of russian oil/petroleum products during the G7+ oil embargo and price cap policy on russian crude oil/petroleum products.
On 13 March 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on Turquoise Sea Marine Limited (Seychelles), the owner of the tanker, for its activities in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy. On the same date, the United States imposed sanctions on the tanker as property in which Turquoise Sea Marine Limited has an interest.
Since December 25, 2025, the owner and manager of the large-tonnage tanker has been the russian company Burevestmarin LLC, established in July 2025. The director and sole owner of the company is Ilya Bugay, an entrepreneur from the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, Ukraine. The company also became the owner of two other tankers:
MARINERA IMO 9230880 (under US sanctions), detained on January 7, 2026, by the US Coast Guard in the North Atlantic south of Iceland. The vessel was detained after a two-week pursuit in the Atlantic after it evaded inspection in the Caribbean Sea. As of January 15, 2026, the tanker is under US control and has been delivered to Moray Firth (Scotland, UK);
GALLILEO IMO 9256860 (under US sanctions), detained on January 15, 2026, in the Caribbean Sea as part of Operation Southern Spear by marines and sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford on charges of violating the US naval blockade and sanctions against Venezuela, as well as transporting Venezuelan oil.
As of January 15, 2026, the tanker IMO 9153525 last transmitted its coordinates on January 1, 2026, while anchored in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Aruba.

The VLCC class tanker is involved in the transportation of Iranian oil. The tanker was also used in the interests of the russian federation to carry out STS transfers of russian petroleum/petroleum products during the period of the G7+ petroleum embargo and price-cap policy on russian petroleum/petroleum products.
On March 13, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on United Tankers Ltd (Marshall Islands) and Lake View Ship Management Private Limited (India), which are the owner and manager of the tanker, respectively, in connection with their activities in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy.
On March 13, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the tanker as a property in which United Tankers Ltd has an interest.

The tanker is affiliated with the Vietnamese company Sao Viet Petrol Transportation Company Limited, which was sanctioned by USA on January 10, 2025 for its activities in the energy sector of the russian economy.
The vessel is involved in the transportation of Iranian goods.
On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on a vessel considered to be part of the shadow fleet as a property in which Sao Viet Petrol Transportation Company Limited has an interest.
According to GISIS IMO, as of early July 2025, the vessel's flag is marked as "Guinea False".

A VLCC-type tanker with a deadweight of almost 310,000 DWT is involved in the STS transshipment of sanctioned russian oil/oil products, in particular, in the waters of the Mid-Atlantic, hundreds of nautical miles from the coast. This high-risk, environmentally hazardous practice with russian oil is that tankers consolidate (receive via STS) oil cargoes from Aframax tankers loaded in russian ports in the Baltic and Black Seas to larger tankers bound mainly for China.
As of January 1, 2025, the beneficial owner of the vessel is SUNNE CO LIMITED, which was sanctioned by USA on January 10, 2025 for its activities in the energy sector of the russian federation. SUNNE CO LIMITED is affiliated with a tanker fleet that is considered part of the shadow fleet.
On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel as a property in which SUNNE CO LIMITED has an interest.

The tanker, during the period of the oil embargo and price cap policy on russian crude oil/petroleum products, is involved in the export of russian crude oil/petroleum products. The vessel is also involved in the transportation of iranian crude oil/petroleum products.
On March 26, 2024, the US imposed sanctions on the tanker as part of restrictions on a network of companies and vessels used by Sa'id al-Jamal, an Iranian financial intermediary for the Houthis (Houthi) supported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF).
Many tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil to countries such as China are involved in Venezuelan trade, including tanker IMO 9185530. On June 11, 2022, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi signed a 20-year cooperation agreement to expand ties in the oil and petrochemical industries, as well as in the military and economic spheres. Since then, bilateral ties have begun to develop. Most cargo is transported by ships belonging to the sanctioned National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) in both directions. A significant number of ships flying foreign (non-Iranian) flags are also involved in this trade.

The vessel is considered to be part of the so-called "shadow fleet," which is used to circumvent sanctions on crude oil trade with Iran, russia, and Venezuela.
The vessel was involved in transporting Iranian crude oil in Karystos Bay (Petalioi Gulf), and was detained by the Greek Coast Guard in April 2022.
In 2020-2025, the tanker is affiliated with the russian shipping company MG-Flot LLC (formerly Transmorfot LLC).
In May 2022, the US imposed sanctions on Transmorfloot LLC and the company's vessels involved in transporting weapons to russia.
MG-Flot LLC is affiliated with Astrakhan businessman Jamaldin Emir Magomedovich Pashayev, who built his business around the commercial port of Olya in the Astrakhan region. This location was proposed as the key logistics hub of the North-South international transport corridor, the development and construction of which was supervised and controlled by former russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. The key purpose of the transport corridor was trade with sanctioned Iran, which could import and export goods via the North-South route. This explains the provision of trade in Iranian oil by a fleet of tankers affiliated with a bank controlled by Mikhail Fradkov.
The vessel is also affiliated with the russian company PSB Leasing LLC (TIN 7722581759), a subsidiary of Promsvyazbank PJSC Promsvyazbank (TIN 7744000912), which is a systemically important state-owned banking institution of the russian federation that finances the russian defense industry, services significant volumes of state defense contracts of the russian Ministry of Defense, and provides banking services, including mortgage loans, to the russian military.
As part of the sanctions against PJSC Promsvyazbank, in February 2022, the US imposed sanctions on five vessels (including IMO 9256860), which at that time were owned by PSB Leasing LLC, a subsidiary of PJSC Promsvyazbank.
On January 15, 2026, the US authorities officially confirmed the seizure of a tanker in the Caribbean Sea as part of Operation Southern Spear. The operation was carried out by marines and sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. The vessel is accused of violating the naval blockade and sanctions imposed by the US against Venezuela, as well as transporting Venezuelan oil. The ship last transmitted its coordinates on January 3, 2026, while anchored near Aruba. At the time of the seizure, the tanker was flying under the flag of Guyana (the previous flag of Iran), but the ship had been registered under the flag of the russian federation since January 1, 2026. Since December 25, 2025, the owner and manager of the tanker has been the russian company Burevestmarin LLC, established in July 2025. The director and sole owner of the company is Ilya Bugay, an entrepreneur from the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, Ukraine. At the end of December 2025, the company became the owner and manager of two more tankers:
— MARINERA IMO 9230880 (under US sanctions), detained on January 7, 2026, by the US Coast Guard in the North Atlantic south of Iceland. The vessel was detained after a two-week pursuit in the Atlantic after it evaded inspection in the Caribbean Sea. As of January 15, 2026, the tanker is under US control and has been delivered to Moray Firth (Scotland, UK);
— SOKOLO IMO 9153525 (under US sanctions) — a VLCC class tanker involved in the transportation of Iranian and russian oil. The vessel last transmitted its coordinates on January 1, 2026, while in the Caribbean Sea at an anchorage off the coast of Aruba.

During the period of the oil embargo and the G7+ countries’ price cap policy on russian crude oil and petroleum products, the tanker is involved in the export of russian petroleum products from russian ports on the Black and Baltic Seas to Turkey, Lebanon, Georgia, and Morocco, acting in the interests of, among others, PJSC "Gazprom".
Additionally, during the fuel crisis in the russian federation, the tanker is involved in the supply chain delivering gasoline to the aggressor country. Specifically, in August 2026, the tanker IMO 9587831 transferred nearly 27,000 metric tons of gasoline—shipped from the port of Mersin (Turkey)—to the tanker IMO 9374416 via a ship-to-ship transfer near Ceuta. In turn, the tanker IMO 9374416 delivered the gasoline cargo to the Vitino terminal (Port of Kandalaksha).

During the period of the oil embargo and the G7+ countries’ price cap policy on russian crude oil and petroleum products, the tanker is involved in the export of russian petroleum products from the ports of Ust-Luga, Vysotsk, and Novorossiysk to Turkey, Brazil, India, and Malta, specifically on behalf of PJSC Lukoil.
The tanker was also involved in supplying petroleum products to the russian federation during the fuel crisis. In late August 2026, the tanker delivered 31,000 metric tons of petroleum products (presumably gasoline) from Morocco (Tanger Med) to the port of St. Petersburg. The russian company Global Marine Agencies LLC (TIN 7801749027), incorporated on April 14, 2026, is involved in handling this shipment.

During the period of the oil embargo and the G7+ countries’ price cap policy on russian crude oil and petroleum products, the tanker has been involved in the export of russian petroleum products from ports in the Baltic Sea and the Pacific region, primarily to China, and also to Turkey.
The tanker was also involved in supplying petroleum products to russia during the fuel crisis. In early September 2026, the tanker IMO 9353137 delivered nearly 14,000 metric tons of a product needed to increase the octane rating of gasoline from the Chinese port of Huinzhou to the port of Vladivostok.