Baltic Leader

It is the property of the sanctioned russian maritime shipping company MG-Flot LLC (formerly Transmorflot LLC).
In May 2022, USA imposed sanctions on Transmorflot LLC and its vessels involved in the transportation of weapons for the russian federation.
The vessel is also affiliated with LLC PSB Leasing (TIN 7722581759, related to the sanctioned PJSC Promsvyazbank (TIN 7744000912), a systemically important russian state-owned banking institution that finances the russian defense industry, services significant volumes of state defense contracts for the russian ministry of defense, and provides banking services, including mortgage loans, to the russian military.
MG-Flot LLC is associated with the Astrakhan businessman Pashayev Jamaldin Emirmagomedovich, who built his business around the commercial port of Olya in the Astrakhan region. This very place was proposed as a key logistic hub of the international transport corridor "North-South", the creation and construction of which was supervised and controlled by former russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. The key purpose of the transportation corridor was to trade with sanctioned Iran, which could import and export goods along the North-South route.
As part of the application of sanctions to PJSC Promsvyazbank, in February 2022, USA imposed sanctions on five vessels (including the "Baltic Leader") owned (owned at the time) by PSB Leasing LLC as a subsidiary of PJSC Promsvyazbank.
"Baltic Leader" while owned by PSB Leasing LLC was arrested by French customs for violation of Decision (EU) 2022/260 of February 23, 2022 on restrictive measures against acts undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. The russian Embassy in France actively participated in the release of the vessel from arrest.
In 2024, the vessel was first used on the Novorossiysk port ( russia) - Tartus port ( Syria) line, which is the only port in the Mediterranean Sea under russian control. In particular, in February 2024, the vessel made a voyage following the ‘Sparta IV’ (IMO 9743033), which was involved in the transportation of weapons from Syria to Novorossiysk. Also involved in this voyage were the tanker ‘Yaz’ (IMO 9735323) and the roller ship ‘Lady Maria’ (IMO 9220641).

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Haydarpasa (Turkey), Novorossiysk (russia), Port Said (Egypt), Zeytinburnu (Turkey), Unye port (Turkey), Port Zheleznyy Rog (russia), Suez (Egypt), Akchansa Canakkale (Turkey), Tartus (Syria), Pendik (Turkey)