GLADIUS

Between 2019 and 2021, the vessel (named PERESVET) was involved in schemes to steal grain from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine (from the port of Sevastopol), supplying Ukrainian ilmenite to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine (port of Feodosia) from Turkey, as well as supplying foreign products to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular construction materials from Turkey to the port of Sevastopol.
The operator/manager of the vessel is the Lebanese company G.M.Z. SHIP MANAGEMENT CO S.A. G.M.Z. SHIP MANAGEMENT CO S.A. also manages the vessel IMO 9109861 (under Ukrainian sanctions), which was involved in the theft of Ukrainian grain from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, in particular from the port of Sevastopol. G.M.Z. SHIP MANAGEMENT CO S.A. is also linked to the management of other vessels, in particular IMO 8116180 and IMO 7392593, which have been making illicit calls at ports in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine since at least 2017.
From March to September 2019, as well as from March 2021 to at least December 2021, the vessel IMO 8919879 was affiliated with the russian shipping company ANSHIP LLC (TIN 7743041144), which is part of the AnRussTrans group of companies (JSC ANRUSSTRANS, TIN 7707589337, under Ukrainian sanctions), owned by russian citizen Alexander Annenkov (TIN 770101755114, under Ukrainian sanctions), and its CEO is likely his son, Vasily Annenkov (TIN 770101462140). Alexander Annenkov owns companies that transported occupation troops and military equipment from russia to Crimea in 2014. Anship LLC operates a fleet of eight vessels, including the bulk carrier FEDOR (IMO 9431977, under Ukrainian sanctions), involved in the theft of Ukrainian grain from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine (Sevastopol, Feodosia). From September 2019 to March 2021, the vessel was managed by the russian company Meridian Shipping LLC (TIN 2352055541). Until June 2019, this company was called LLC Peresvet Shipping, and the ship IMO 8919879 was called PERESVET from January 2019 to December 2021. According to available information, in 2019-early 2021, the ship was owned by the Panamanian company PERESVET SHIPPING S.A. (address: 50th Street, Global Plaza Bidg, 20th Floor, Office E, City of Panama, Republic of Panama). This company is affiliated with Hector Varela De Leon, who is listed as the CEO of this company. Hector Varela De Leon is associated with the incorporation and management of a number of shell companies, including those that are part of the vast shipping empire of Iranian oil magnate and major arms supplier to russia Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of Ali Shamkhani, former minister of defense of Iran and chief political advisor to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Hector Varela de Leon is the founder and CEO of a number of companies that own, among other things, tankers belonging to russia's shadow fleet (IMO 9292199, IMO 9290373). On July 30, 2025, the US imposed sanctions on Hector Varela de Leon for his activities in the oil sector of the Iranian economy.
On December 2025, the vessel was detained by the competent authority of Ukraine. On December 5, 2025, the Ukrainian court granted the request of the Crimean Prosecutor's Office and arrested the vessel IMO 8919879.