Marine vessels

The tanker is involved in the transportation of russian crude oil/oil products from russian ports in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic region during the period of the G7+ oil embargo and the price cap policy on russian oil/oil products, and is engaged in dark activities, in particular, in the area of the port of Ust-Luga. The tanker is affiliated with a russian company Agro Tanker Group LLC (TIN 9703142189), which was sanctioned by USA on January 10, 2025 for its activities in the energy sector of the russian economy. The tanker is also affiliated with the sanctioned Turkish company Beks Gemi Isletmeciligi Ve Tic, as well as the Turkish company Beks Tanker Isletmeciligi AS, which were among the top three ranking Turkish operators, which in 2023 provided transportation of tens of millions of barrels of russian crude oil and petroleum products. The fleet of the top three Turkish operators - Beks Tanker Isletmeciligi AS and the sanctioned Beks Gemi Isletmeciligi ve Tic and Active Denizcilik ve Gemi - transported a total of 49 million barrels of russian crude oil/oil products in 2023. After the sanctions were imposed on Agro Tanker Group LLC, the company changed its flag country and ship's management. On February 24, 2025, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel. On February 24, March 04, 2025 EU and Switzerland respectively imposed sanctions on the tanker for transporting crude oil/oil products originating in or exported from russia using irregular and high-risk shipping practices as specified in the International Maritime Organization General Assembly resolution A.1192 (33) (EU sanctions will enter into force on February 25, 2025).

During the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and price-cap policy on russian oil, the tanker is involved in the export of russian oil from russian ports in the Baltic, Black seas, and the Pacific region, mainly to China, India, and Turkey. The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as part of the shadow fleet of tankers that transport russian oil around the world and threaten the environment. The vessel is affiliated with the sanctioned Turkish company Beks Gemi Isletmeciligi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, which was sanctioned by the United Kingdom in early 2024, as well as with the Turkish company Beks Tanker Isletmeciligi AS. After the sanctions were imposed, the vessels of this Turkish company changed managers and flags and continued to transport russian oil. Both of these companies are among the 30 largest companies in the world in terms of russian cargo transportation in 2023. The tanker LIFE is one of the most active carriers of russian oil, forming the 'core' of the russian shadow fleet. On December 16, 2024, the EU imposed sanctions on the tanker (effective from December 17, 2024) due to the transportation of crude oil or petroleum products originating in or exported from russia, using irregular high-risk shipping practices as set out in the International Maritime Organization General Assembly Resolution A.1192(33). On December 23, 2024, Switzerland imposed sanctions on the vessel in connection with the transportation of crude oil or petroleum products originating in or exported from russia, using irregular and risky shipping practices, as set out in the resolution of the General Assembly of the International Maritime Organization A.1192(33).

The tanker, during the period of the G7+ oil embargo and the price cap policy on russian crude oil/oil products, is involved in the export of russian crude oil/oil products from russian ports in the Baltic Sea, and is engaged in dark activities, in particular, in the area of the russian port of Ust-Luga. The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as part of a shadow fleet of tankers transporting russian crude around the world and threatening the environment. The tanker is affiliated with Orion Ship Management LLP, an Indian company, affiliated with Gatik Ship Management, one of the leading operators of the so-called “shadow” fleet involved in the transportation of russian crude oil/oil products in 2022-2023 under Western sanctions. In 2023, Orion Ship Management LLP, together with Gaurik Ship Management LLP, Caishan Ship Management, Plutos Ship Management, Geras Ship Management, Girik Ship Management, Galena Ship Management, Nautilus Shipping, Ark Seakonnect Shipmanagement LLC, Zidan Ship Management, was involved in a scheme to “juggle” vessels operated by Gatik Ship Management to avoid sanctions.

The tanker during the period of the G7+ oil embargo and the price cap policy on russian crude oil/oil products is involved in the export of russian crude oil/oil products. The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as part of the shadow fleet of tankers transporting russian oil around the world and threatening the environment. The tanker is affiliated with Orion Ship Management, a company associated with 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. In 2023, Orion Ship Management, along with Caishan Ship Management, Plutos Ship Management, Gaurik Ship Management LLP, Geras Ship Management, Girik Ship Management, Galena Ship Management, Nautilus Shipping (India), Ark Seakonnect Shipmanagement LLC, Zidan Ship Management, were involved in a scheme to "juggle" vessels operated by Gatik Ship Management to avoid sanctions. Orion Ship Management was the previous manager of the tanker. Within the framework of restrictions on the shadow fleet of the russian federation, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the tanker on February 24, 2025.

The tanker during the period of the G7+ oil embargo and the price cap policy on russian crude oil/petroleum products is involved in the export of russian crude oil/petroleum products mainly from russian ports in the Baltic Sea to India. Within the framework of restrictions on the russian shadow fleet, United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the tanker on February 24, 2025. On April 11, 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the master of vessel IMO 9388766.

The tanker has been involved in the export of russian oil from russian ports in the Baltic Sea to third countries since July 2023, in violation of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price-cap policy on russian oil. In particular, the vessel is involved in STS transfers of russian oil to the vessel LIGERA in the Laconikos Gulf (Greece). According to Kpler, on January 09, 2024, the LIGERA was recorded by the MarineTraffic ship spotter off the coast of Crete in ballast with a draft of 11.3 m. On January 10, 2024, the tanker sailed to the Laconian Gulf, where it made an STS transfer on the same day, receiving URALS oil from the NAUTILUS (IMO 9434890). According to Kpler, NAUTILUS was loaded with 729 thousand barrels of Urals oil from the port of Ust-Luga. The LIGERA, loaded with russian oil, concealed information about the change in the ship's draft and headed to Venezuela, where an STS transfer of oil to the MORNING SUN (IMO 9110183) was detected between February 28 and March 1, 2024, which delivered 600 thousand barrels of russian oil to the Cardon refinery in Venezuela on March 02, 2024. The tanker is affiliated with Adel Ship Management SRL (Moldova), which manages tankers that help russia transport crude oil under western sanctions. Adel Ship Management SRL is considered one of the largest carriers of russian crude oil, in particular, in the first half of 2024, the Moldovan company shipped 2.6 million barrels of oil, which is approximately 2% of total russian exports. RLRISE Moldova, a community of investigative journalists, programmers, and activists from the Republic of Moldova and Romania, attributes the tanker to the shadow fleet involved in russian oil exports.

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.

The tanker, during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price-cap policy on russian oil, is involved in the export of oil to third countries from russian ports, in particular in the Baltic Sea, and resorts to the practice of turning off the AIS signal, conducting so-called “dark activities” at sea. The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as part of the shadow fleet of tankers that transports Russian oil around the world through the Baltic Sea, the Kadetsky Canal area in the Gulf of Mecklenburg and threatens the environment. Until February 2025, the ISM-management of the vessel was carried out by Akara Navigation LLC (Azerbaijan), which managed the safety of two other shadow fleet vessels involved in the transportation of sanctioned russian oil, IMO 9233741, IMO 9262924, while the IMO 9262924 tanker was identified by the international NGO Greenpeace as part of the shadow fleet of tankers transporting russian oil around the world and threatening the environment. The tanker is affiliated with Sao Viet Petrol Transportation Co Ltd (Vietnam), which was the previous owner and manager of the vessel. According to the American human rights group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which monitors tanker traffic related to Iran using satellite data, the Sao Viet Petrol Transportation Co Ltd tanker fleet is involved in the transportation of sanctioned Iranian oil, in particular, tankers IMO 9284582, IMO 9284594, IMO 9337133. On April 11, 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the master of vessel IMO 9253076.

The tanker during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and price-cap policy on russian oil has been involved since January 2024 in the export of russian oil from russian ports in the Baltic Sea to third countries. The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as part of a shadow fleet of tankers transporting russian oil around the world and threatening the environment. On December 17, 2024, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel. On February 21, 2025, Canada imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The tanker during the period of the G7+ oil embargo, the price cap policy on russian crude oil/oil products involved in the export of russian crude oil/oil products from russian ports in the Baltic, Black Seas, and Pacific region, resorts to conducting dark activities with the disabling of AIS near the russian port of Ust-Luga. The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as part of a shadow fleet of tankers transporting russian crude around the world and threatening the environment. 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 Caishan Ship Management, which is affiliated with Gatik, which in 2023, along with Gaurik Ship Management LLP, Galena Ship Management, Plutos Ship Management, Geras Ship Management, Girik Ship Management, Orion Ship Management LLP, Nautilus Shipping, 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 Caishan Ship Management were the previous managers of the tanker. Tankers operated/managed by the Indian Gatik Ship Management continue to be used by related companies and call at russian ports.

The tanker during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo, the price cap on russian oil/oil products is involved in the export of russian oil/oil products from russian ports in the Baltic Sea, the Pacific region to third countries, conducting dark activities near Malaysia, Thailand, the russian ports of Ust-Luga, Vistino in the Baltic Sea with the AIS signal turned off. The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as a shadow fleet of tankers transporting russian oil around the world through the Baltic Sea, the Kadetsky Canal area in the Bay of Mecklenburg and threatening the environment. The tanker is operated by Dream Island Shipping LLC (Azerbaijan), whose fleet includes three other oil tankers, classified by Greenpeace as part of the shadow fleet of tankers transporting russian oil around the world through the Baltic Sea, the Kadetsky Canal in the Bay of Mecklenburg and threatening the environment. At the same time, two tankers from the MAKALU and TOREX fleets were transferred to Dream Island Shipping LLC from the Moldovan companies Ost Shipmanagement SRL and KSN Shipmanagement SRL, which, according to an investigation by RLRISE Moldova, a community of investigative journalists, programmers and activists from the Republic of Moldova and Romania, are involved in creating part of the shadow fleet involved in the export of russian oil. On April 11, 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the master of vessel IMO 9183295.

The tanker during the period of the G7+ oil embargo and the price cap policy on russian crude oil/oil products is involved in the export of russian crude oil/oil products. Within the framework of restrictions on the russian shadow fleet, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the tanker on February 24, 2025. On February 24, March 04, 2025 EU and Switzerland respectively imposed sanctions on the tanker for transporting crude oil/oil products originating in or exported from russia using irregular and high-risk shipping practices as specified in the International Maritime Organization General Assembly resolution A.1192 (33); promoting or supporting actions/policies aimed at the exploitation, development or expansion of the energy sector in russia, including energy infrastructure (EU sanctions will enter into force on February 25, 2025).