WEI FENG

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 Sea, and resorts to the practice of turning off the AIS signal, conducting so-called 'dark activities' at sea.
The vessel is certified by the China Classification Society (IACS).
The owner and commercial manager of the vessel is Xingfu Hai Shipping Ltd (Seychelles), whose fleet consists of only the tanker 'WEI FENG'. The ISM-manager of the tanker is the Chinese company Jiangtai Shipmanagement Co Ltd, which manages the security of another tanker DANGLA (IMO 9294331), 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.
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.
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 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 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 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.
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 international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as a shadow fleet.
Oil exports from russia are the most important source of income for the kremlin regime to finance the war against Ukraine. The tax on oil production collected by the russian federation 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.

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Algeciras (Spain), Sines (Portugal), Zhoushan (PRC), Port Said (Egypt), Ust-Luga (russia), Sadat (Egypt), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Aoshan Oil Terminal (PRC), Kozmino (russia), Dongjiakou (PRC), Primorsk (russia), Fujairah (UAE), Dongying (PRC), Terminal BZ 34 (PRC), Vadinar (India), Jamnagar Terminal (India), Qingdao (PRC), Tuzla Shipyard (Turkey)