Marine vessels

Since September 2022 and during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and price-cap policy on russian oil, the tanker has been involved in exporting russian oil from russian ports in the Baltic and Black Seas to India, mainly, and has also been involved in violating the G7 and EU embargo. In particular, in March 2023, it was transporting russian oil from the russian port of Kavkaz in the Black Sea to the EU countries (Laconikos Gulf, Greece). The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as part of the shadow fleet of tankers that transport russian oil around the world and threaten the environment. The commercial management of the vessel is carried out by the Turkish company Westanker Ltd, which is included in the list of 11 new 'players' in the Turkish segment of the russian shadow fleet management, which together since the beginning of 2024 have been managing 47 tankers and helping russia to circumvent the price ceiling regime for russian oil. Thus, on the same day (February 22, 2024), six oil tankers ІМО 9308077, ІМО 9321677, ІМО 9282508, ІМО 9390587, ІМО 9413004, ІМО 9326885, which were operated by the sanctioned company Fractal Marine DMCC, were transferred to the management of the Turkish company Westanker Ltd. All six tankers in 2024 are actively involved in the transportation of russian oil from russian ports in the Black, Baltic Seas and Arctic regions of russia. The tanker's security is managed by Wanta Shipping LLC-FZ (UAE), which also manages 19 other vessels affiliated with Fractal Marine DMCC. Fractal Marine DMCC (UAE, under UK sanctions) is one of the leading operators of the russian shadow fleet in 2022-2023, 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. Fractal Marine DMCC, together with Gatik Ship Management (India) and Radiating World Shipping Services LLC (UAE, under UK sanctions), are considered to be the leading operators of the russian shadow fleet, which in early 2023 assembled a fleet of about 90 tankers, 90% of which transported russia's oil/oil products from russian Baltic and Black seas ports 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 provide multibillion-dollar revenues bypassing sanctions. On February 22, 2024, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Fractal Marine DMCC in connection with its involvement in servicing the russian energy sector. After the sanctions were imposed, Fractal Marine 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.

The tanker, during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo, the price-cap policy on ussian oil, has been involved in the export of russian oil from russian ports in the Baltic Sea to third countries since March 2023. The vessel is involved in the transportation of Venezuelan oil. In early December 2023, the tanker LIBERTY (the former name of the tanker) under the flag of Cameroon ran aground in the Strait of Malacca, which forced the Singaporean authorities to send 5 tugboats to the scene and prepare for an oil spill. In June 2023, the vessel entered the port of Ust-Luga, after which it was recorded with geometric circles off the coast of Angola in August-October. This location was previously associated with the Venezuelan dark fleet trade, in which tankers give out their location in Angola to disguise their real operations in Latin America. The vessel then sailed into the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope and arrived in Singapore in late November 2023, where it ran aground on December 2. Satellite research conducted by TankerTrackers.com claims that the LIBERTY was loaded with almost a million barrels of Venezuelan fuel oil. After the incident, the vessel changed its name from LIBERTY to VERNAL and the vessel's management. The Maritime Executive noted that Cameroon had become a 'shelter' for a shadow fleet, including those involved in the transportation of sanctioned russian oil. Vessels registered under the Cameroon flag have been linked to other oil smuggling operations, including in Iran and Venezuela. The international public organization Greenpeace refers to the tanker as a shadow fleet of tankers that transport russian oil around the world and threaten the environment.

Since the entry into force of restrictions on russian oil in February 2023, the tanker has been involved in the export of russian oil to third countries. In February 2023, the vessel was sold by Frontline (New York, USA, majority owned by shipping billionaire John Fredriksen) to an unknown company, Bay Global Maritime Inc (registered in Liberia), which was registered as the owner and commercial manager of the vessel. In June 2023, the Turkish company PIER DENIZCILIK VE TICARET LTD, incorporated on May 26, 2023, became the ship's safety manager. As of December 11, 2024, Turkey's PIER DENIZCILIK VE TICARET LTD manages the safety of two oil tankers affiliated with the sanctioned PJSC Sovcomflot, the largest state-owned shipping company in russia, a key company for servicing and supporting offshore hydrocarbon production, transportation of russian oil, oil products, and liquefied gas amid sanctions restrictions on russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The services provided by Sovcomflot are a significant source of income for russia, as more than 70% of russia's revenues come from energy sales, which allows it to finance its war against Ukraine. The main charterers of Sovcomflot vessels are the largest oil and gas companies and traders in russia. Sovcomflot is involved in servicing major oil and gas projects in russia: 'Sakhalin-1', 'Sakhalin-2', 'Varandey', 'Prirazlomnoye', 'Novy Port', 'Yamal LNG' and others. Prior to russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the company's fleet consisted of about 145 vessels. After sanctions were imposed, in order to circumvent them, Sovcomflot transferred dozens of vessels to the ownership of companies it created, including in foreign jurisdictions, and started the practice of constantly 'juggling' (transferring) vessels to related companies. According to expert estimates, the tankers 'transferred' by Sovcomflot to related companies are part of the so-called 'shadow tanker fleet' of the russian federation to continue selling russian oil, oil products, and liquefied gas under Western sanctions.

The tanker is involved in the export of russian oil from russian ports in the Baltic Sea to third countries, transportation of russian oil from the russian port of Ust-Luga to the EU countries (Laconikos Gulf, Greece) in violation of the G7 and EU oil embargo. The ship was involved in dark activities near the Netherlands (for 10 days in August 2024), near Greece (for 6 days in August 2024), and near Greece in the area of the so-called STS hub in May 2024. The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as a shadow fleet of tankers transporting russian oil around the world and threatening the environment.

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 and in conducting dark activities at sea, in particular, near russian ports in the Black Sea. The tanker is affiliated with the Turkish company Active Denizcilik ve Gemi (under UK sanctions), which was the commercial and ISM manager of the vessel from June 2023 to March 2024. Active Denizcilik ve Gemi is one of the top three ranking Turkish operators, which in 2023 provided transportation of tens of millions of barrels of russian oil and oil products. The fleet of the Turkish top three - Beks Tanker Isletmeciligi AS and the sanctioned Beks Gemi Isletmeciligi ve Tic and Active Denizcilik ve Gemi - transported a total of 49 million barrels of russian oil/oil products in 2023.

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 oil to third countries from russian ports in the Baltic and Black Seas, and resorts to the practice of turning off the AIS signal and conducting so-called 'dark activities' at sea (in the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea, off the southern coast of India). The vessel is certified by the American Bureau of Shipping (IACS). The international NGO Greenpeace considers the tanker to be part of the shadow fleet. The owner and commercial manager of the vessel is an unknown company, Strategic Alliance Ltd, registered in the Marshall Islands at: Trust Company Complex, Ajeltake Road, Ajeltake, Majuro MH 96960. This address in the Marshall Islands is identical for a whole group of oil tanker owners/managers, which may indicate an offshore zone for the shadow fleet operator network. In April 2024, more than 70 oil tanker owners/managers were registered at the address in the Marshall Islands. Under this model, only one tanker is registered per company, and in many cases the name of the shipowning company coincides with the name of the vessel owned by that company. All such tankers carried out transportation without IG P&I insurance, and 46 companies transported Russian oil without IG P&I insurance. 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 ship 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. Almost all vessels involved in the transportation of russian oil by the shadow fleet since 2022 have been certified by the Indian regulator Indian Register of Shipping (IACS). The certification of shadow fleet vessels allows the shipowner/operator to insure the vessels, which, in turn, allows the vessels to enter ports and pass through various specific sea routes (straits, canals, etc.). 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. Oil exports from russia are the most important source of income for the kremlin regime to finance its war against Ukraine. The tax on oil production collected by russia in 2023 amounted to 8.9 trillion rubles, or 31% of total federal revenues. According to CREA data for September 2024, russia's revenues from crude oil exported by sea amounted to 192 million euros per day, 86% of the total volume of russian marine crude oil was transported by "shadow" tankers, while tankers owned or insured in countries that impose price restrictions accounted for 14% of the total value of russian oil exported in September. Thus, russia's 'shadow fleet' continues to generate billions of dollars in revenue for the Kremlin bypassing sanctions, disguising its activities under the flags of third countries, using complex schemes to conceal owners, and poses significant environmental threats with significant economic costs to coastal countries and/or the international community due to the outdated and inadequate insurance of shadow fleet tankers.

During the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price-cap policy on russian crude oil, the tanker is involved in the export of russian oil to third countries from russian ports, including with the AIS signal turned off. The tanker is involved in STS transfers of russian oil products in the Kerch Strait area in the Black Sea, in particular, the tanker was to receive fuel oil from the tanker Volgoneft-212, which sank in December 2024 in the Kerch Strait area due to damage caused by a storm, which led to an environmental disaster, including in the temporarily occupied Crimea due to a fuel oil spill. The vessel through related companies, in particular sanctioned Sun Ship Management, SCF Management Services LTD, is affiliated with the sanctioned PJSC Sovcomflot, the largest state-owned shipping company in russia for servicing and supporting offshore hydrocarbon production, transportation of russian crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas. The main charterers of PJSC Sovcomflot vessels are the largest oil and gas companies and traders in russia. PJSC Sovcomflot is involved in servicing major oil and gas projects in russia: 'Sakhalin-1', 'Sakhalin-2', 'Varandey', 'Prirazlomnoye', 'Novy Port', 'Yamal LNG' and others. Prior to russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the company's fleet consisted of about 145 vessels. After the sanctions were imposed, PJSC Sovcomflot transferred dozens of vessels to the ownership of companies it had set up, including in foreign jurisdictions, in order to circumvent them, and began the practice of constantly 'juggling' (transferring) vessels to related companies. According to expert estimates, the tankers 'transferred' by PJSC Sovcomflot to related companies are part of the so-called 'shadow tanker fleet' of the russian federation to continue selling russian oil, oil products, and liquefied gas under western sanctions. As sanctions are being imposed, russia uses a scheme of 'juggling' ships between related companies to conceal oil exports outside 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 obsolete 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 ship 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. Almost all vessels involved in the transportation of russian oil by the 'shadow fleet' since 2022 have been certified by the Indian regulator Indian Register of Shipping (IACS). The certification of 'shadow fleet' vessels allows the shipowner/operator to insure the vessels, which, in turn, allows the vessels to enter ports and pass through various specific sea routes (straits, canals, etc.). According to CREA, from January to August 2024, the number of 'shadow' tankers crossing the Danish Straits in Europe increased by 277% compared to the same period in 2022, with 64% of the 46 million tons of russian marine oil transported through the Danish Straits being transported by 'shadow tankers'. In the same period, the number of shadow tankers in the Straits of Dover and Gibraltar increased by 355% compared to 2022, transporting 67% of the 37 million tons of oil through the straits. The Suez Canal experienced a staggering 649% increase in shadow tanker traffic, with 69% of the 52 million tons of russian crude oil passing through it being transported by these vessels. Thus, 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.