Marine and Aircraft
Vessels
Airports and Ports
involved in the transportation of weapons, stolen Ukrainian products and in the circumvention of sanctions
Total number:
994
Marine vessels
155
Captains
Updated: 23.06.2025
Maritime logistics is critically important for building up the aggressor`s military capabilities, moving troops, obtaining weapons and sanctioned goods, and trading stolen goods. Aggressors transport weapons through international straits on civilian merchant vessels. Exporting fossil fuels to circumvent sanctions is the main source of income for russia and Iran. The shadow tanker fleet and ships without ice class in the Arctic threaten an environmental disaster. Through the sale of agricultural products from the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, russia finances the war and maintains the loyalty of its allies, Iran and the DPRK.
Together we can stop this to restore peace and security
Actions to be taken:
  • to sanction the vessels on the list below, as well as all related companies and individuals (owners, operators, managers, executives, senior crew members)
  • to prohibit the entry of such vessels into ports, territorial waters, EEZs and international straits, and the sale of spare parts for them
 
  • to require bank statements to confirm compliance with the price-cap when receiving insurance and other services
  • to involve financial and specialized institutions in the gathering of evidence, to publish the results of investigations, and to apply real penalties, including significant fines
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Air vessels Ports Airports
The shadow tanker fleet transports growing volumes of sanctioned oil around the world, generates billions of dollars in revenue for russia and Iran, threatens environmental safety in the oceans, serves as a spy platform, and is used for sabotage activities in the interests of the aggressor.
The sanctioned countries are looking for new markets for oil, building up their tanker fleet to circumvent restrictions, and shipping crude oil mainly to China and India.
The shadow tanker fleet with a total deadweight of more than 100 million tons (approximately 17% of the world`s oil tanker fleet) consists of more than a thousand mostly outdated, poorly maintained vessels without proper insurance, with ‘confusing’ ownership and management structures located in ‘friendly’ jurisdictions, under ‘convenient’ flags. Such vessels resort to deceptive tactics at sea to conceal the origin of their cargo, threaten ‘environmental chaos’ and billions of dollars in losses to coastal countries by passing through busy, narrow international transportation routes without pilotage. Since the beginning of russia`s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, shadow tankers have already been involved in more than 50 incidents from the Danish Straits to Malaysia.
 
 
 
 
Category
Sanctions
 
DWT: 64 048 тис.тоннTotal: 595
VOLANS
Vessel name
VOLANS
IMO
9422988
Flag (Current)
Barbados Barbados
Vessel Type
Crude Oil Tanker
Category
Transportation of fossil fuels
icon arrow-tree Transporting russian crude oil/oil products in violation of other restrictions
The tanker during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price cap policy on russian crude oil/petroleum products is involved in the export of russian crude oil/petroleum products, and resorts to deceptive, high-risk practices (disabling AIS, conducting dark activities near Malaysia, making STS transmissions with russian affiliation). In early January 2023, the tanker IMO 9422988 made an STS transmission in international waters of the South Korean anchorage with the help of the russian tanker IMO 9301407 (under sanctions since January 2025, affiliated with the sanctioned russian company PJSC Sovcomflot), which had previously been loaded at the russian oil terminal De-Kastri. The tanker IMO 9422988 is involved in an established chain of supply of russian crude oil/petroleum products to third countries by making STS transfers in the area near European countries, in particular, with the sanctioned tanker IMO 9247443, which since July 2024 has been operating in the area near Greece, Cyprus as a transshipment STS hub for russian crude oil/petroleum products, which are transported by tankers mainly from the russian ports of Tuapse, Novorossiysk, Taman crude oil/petroleum products transshipment complex for transshipment near European countries. In January and March 2025, tanker IMO 9422988 conducted STS transmissions with tanker IMO 9247443 near Greece and Cyprus, respectively. There are other STS transfers near Cyprus and Greece in 2025 with other tankers of the russian shadow fleet (IMO 9352195, IMO 9314882, IMO 9263203, IMO 9299862, IMO 9198290, IMO 9424651), which were sanctioned by the EU, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom in May 2025. Transshipment of crude oil/petroleum products of russian origin by STS method at sea allows concealing the ownership and origin of the cargo, legalizing their supply to the EU, USA and other countries. In turn, the sale of crude oil/petroleum products on the world market allows the russian state budget to accumulate significant financial resources, which are used, among other things, to build up the military potential of the aggressor state and to provide material support for russia's military operations on the territory of Ukraine. The tanker is involved in the transportation of Iranian oil to Chinese refineries, for which it was sanctioned by USAA in March 2025. On May 09, 2025, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the tanker as part of the restrictions on the shadow fleet of the russian federation, including for engaging in activities aimed at destabilizing Ukraine, undermining/threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine or benefiting from or supporting the government of russia, and participating in the transportation of crude oil/petroleum products of russian origin, in particular, from russia to a third country.
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ASTERI
Vessel name
ASTERI
IMO
9282493
Flag (Current)
Curaçao Curaçao
Vessel Type
Crude Oil Tanker
Category
Transportation of fossil fuels
icon arrow-tree Transporting russian crude oil/oil products in violation of other restrictions
During the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price-cap policy on russian oil, the tanker is involved in the export of russian oil from russian ports in the Baltic Sea, of the Pacific region mainly to China and India. The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as a shadow fleet of tankers transporting russian oil around the world and threatening the environment. The tanker is affiliated with Fractal Marine DMCC (UAE, under UK sanctions), one of the leading operators of the so-called shadow fleet involved in the export of russian oil/oil products in 2022-2023. Fractal Marine DMCC was the commercial manager of the vessel from September 2022 to June 2024. The shipping company Fractal Marine DMCC (UAE) was established by former Socar CEO Mathieu Philippe as a subsidiary of the Swiss Fractal Shipping SA shortly before the G7 countries introduced a price-cap policy on russian oil after russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and played a significant role in the transportation of russian oil. Fractal Marine DMCC operated a fleet of 28 tankers as an intermediary between ship owners and charterers. On February 22, 2024, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Fractal Marine DMCC in connection with its involvement in servicing the russian energy sector. Fractal Marine DMCC, together with Gatik Ship Management (India) and Radiating World Shipping Services LLC (UAE, under UK sanctions), are considered the leading operators of the russian shadow fleet, which in early 2023 assembled a fleet of about 90 tankers, 90% of which transported russian oil/oil products from the Baltic and Black Sea ports of russia to India, China, Turkey, the Middle East, Africa and South America. In less than a year, the $2 billion fleet of oil tankers assembled by Fractal and Gatik could transport more than 40 million barrels of oil/oil products. Fractal Marine DMCC, Gatik Ship Management and Radiating World Shipping Services LLC in the tanker market helped russian oil continue to circulate around the world and the russian government to generate multibillion-dollar revenues bypassing the sanctions. After Fractal Marine was sanctioned, DMCC tried to challenge the sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom but lost in court. After that, the company 're-signed' its fleet to other companies. Against the backdrop of sanctions, russia is using a scheme of 'juggling' ships between related companies to conceal oil exports outside the price cap and other restrictions, as well as to hide the real owners of ships, and to ensure unimpeded transportation of fossil fuels by a shadow fleet of outdated oil tankers, creates new companies for these purposes (in the UAE, Hong Kong, India, Turkey, Mauritius, Seychelles, and other jurisdictions) with non-transparent organizational and ownership structures. In order to implement this scheme, technical/commercial management and vessel owners are constantly changing, and vessels are renamed with a change of flag, MMSI, call-sign, including for sanctioned vessels. Shadow fleet vessels operate under 'convenient flags', which allows them to conceal their true origin and avoid control by international organizations and insurance companies. The shadow fleet, transporting huge volumes of crude oil through heavily trafficked routes through narrow straits near the coastline, without proper P&I insurance, with the automatic identification system turned off, threatens an environmental disaster with significant economic costs to be borne by the affected coastal countries and/or the international community. The shadow fleet of the russian federation continues to provide multibillion-dollar revenues for the kremlin bypassing sanctions, disguising its activities under the flags of third countries, using complex schemes to conceal owners, and poses significant threats to environmental safety with significant economic costs for coastal countries and/or the international community due to the outdated and inadequate insurance of shadow fleet tankers. On February 24, March 04, 2025 EU and Switzerland respectively imposed sanctions on the tanker for transporting crude oil/oil products originating in or exported from russia using irregular and high-risk shipping practices as specified in the International Maritime Organization General Assembly resolution A.1192 (33) (EU sanctions will enter into force on February 25, 2025). On April 11, 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the master of vessel IMO 9282493. On May 09, 2025, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the tanker as part of the restrictions on the russian shadow fleet.
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War & Sanctions 2025
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