MUSA JALIL

The vessel was involved in the transportation of military cargoes (ammunition, shells, armored vests, and helmets) from Iran to the russian federation via the Caspian Sea, with the Automatic Identification System (AIS) disabled. The vessel is also mentioned as being involved in trade cooperation between Iran and the russian federation.
From July 2022 to June 2023, the russian-flagged vessel made 15 port calls at the Iranian ports of Amirabad, Nowshahr, Astara, and Anzali, from which it departed for the russian port of Astrakhan, and in the opposite direction.
The Iranian port of Amirabad is a key transshipment point for Iranian drone deliveries to the russian federation. Drones are transported from Tehran to the port of Amirabad, from where they are shipped by sea to Makhachkala, and then moved by air and ground transport to launch airfields near the Ukrainian border – Seshcha in the Bryansk region (north) and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in the Krasnodar Krai (south).
There is an established practice of misreporting the vessel’s load status; in some voyages, it is impossible to determine the place of loading/unloading. The vessel has also disabled AIS near ports, resulting in unrecorded port calls.
The vessel is owned by the russian Declaration Firm VTS-Broker LLC (ООО "Декларантская фирма "ВТС-Брокер", TIN 3017037318), which is part of the VTS Group of Companies (Группа компаний "ВТС"). The group positions itself as the largest freight forwarder in the Astrakhan region in the market for transportation and logistics services for general, breakbulk, and container cargoes in the russian federation and Caspian littoral states. Its fleet includes seven dry-cargo vessels. Among its main clients are the sanctioned russian Mechel PJSC (ПАО "Мечел", TIN 7703370008) and Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan LLC (ООО "Газпром добыча Астрахань", TIN 3006006420).
On 10 September 2024, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel.
On 21 February 2025, Canada imposed sanctions on the vessel.