GANGA

During the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo on russian oil, the tanker has been involved in exporting russian oil mainly to India from russian ports in the Baltic, Black seas, and the Pacific region, and conducting dark activities at sea with the AIS signal turned off.
The vessel is certified by the Indian Register of Shipping (IACS).
The tanker is affiliated with the Indian company Gatik Ship Management, one of the leading operators of the so-called 'shadow' fleet involved in the transportation of russian crude oil under Western sanctions, and the company Galena Ship Management, which is affiliated with Gatik, which in 2023, together with Gaurik Ship Management LLP, Caishan Ship Management, Plutos Ship Management, Geras Ship Management, Girik Ship Management, Orion Ship Management LLP, Nautilus Shipping (India), Ark Seakonnect Shipmanagment LLC, Zidan Ship Management, was involved in a scheme to 'juggle' vessels operated by Gatik Ship Management to avoid sanctions.
Gatik Ship Management and Galena Ship Management were the previous managers of the tanker.
Tankers operated/managed by India's Gatik Ship Management continue to be used by related companies and call at russian ports.
As sanctions are being imposed, russia uses 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 obsolete oil tankers, creates new companies for these purposes (in 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 that are 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 close to the coastline, without proper P&I insurance, with automatic identification systems disabled, threatens an environmental disaster with significant economic costs to be borne by the affected coastal countries and/or the international community.
On February 24, 2025, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel.
On April 11, 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the master of vessel IMO 9378620.