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 the Pacific region, and resorts to STS operations with russian oil in the Atlantic Ocean, the practice of turning off the AIS signal, and conducting so-called 'dark activities' at sea.
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.
According to Lloyd's List, 'the tanker IMO 9321976 is linked to anonymous Chinese buyers who spent about $376 million to purchase 13 tankers to carry out risky ship-to-ship transportation of russian oil in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Ship-to-shore logistics hubs are a common feature of the scheme, allowing for the concealment of ownership and origin of cargo. In addition to the mid-Atlantic STS hub, there are also areas near the ports of Kalamata (Greece), Malta, Ceuta, and the Caucasus where ship-to-ship operations have been established for russian oil. STS's operations in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean are outside the jurisdiction of port authorities, with limited technical and operational oversight, which increases safety and environmental concerns due to the unknown insurance and vessel ownership data.
Lloyd's List has tracked five Aframax tankers, seven large oil carriers and one Suezmax vessel to an anonymous buyer through separate but related companies operating offshore Hong Kong and China that own similar vessels. The group of tankers was acquired between May and July 2022 for a total of $285 million, based on ship brokerage reports and market valuations. Since then, all but one of the tankers have been involved in the transshipment of russian oil cargoes at a high-risk transshipment hub located 860 nautical miles west of Portugal in international waters. The vessels purchased by the anonymous Chinese buyer are 15 years old or more, making it impossible for most major oil companies to charter them and impossible to obtain conventional financing.
The tanker is also involved in the transportation of Iranian oil and petroleum products.
Since December 17, 2024, the EU has imposed sanctions on tankers for transporting crude oil or petroleum products originating in or exported from russia, using irregular shipping practices with a high degree of risk, as specified in Resolution A.1192(33) of the General Assembly of the International Maritime Organization.
On December 23, 2024, Switzerland imposed sanctions on a vessel for transporting crude oil or petroleum products originating in or exported from russia, using irregular and high-risk shipping practices, as specified in Resolution A.1192(33) of the General Assembly of the International Maritime Organization.
On January 10, 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on the vessel.
In June 2025, Canada imposed sanctions on the vessel.
On July 21, 2025, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel.
Since December 13, 2025, Ukraine has imposed sanctions on the vessel.
On February 21, 2026, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the master of the vessel.
On October 2, 2026, Japan imposed sanctions on the vessel.
