Sea vessels

The vessel makes calls at the ports of the TOT of Crimea (Ukraine) and is involved in regular deliveries of Shahed 136/131 UAVs from Iran to russia via the Caspian Sea with the AIS signal disabled. From Tehran, the drones are delivered to the Iranian port of Amirabad, from where they are vesselped to Makhachkala by sea. Then, the drones and launchers are transported by air and land to launching sites near the borders of Ukraine - Seshcha in the north, in Bryansk Oblast, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in the south, in Krasnodar Krai. It is also involved in violations of the 'Crimean sanctions'. Ladoga shipping company LLC, a shipping company based in Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea, whose vessels previously entered the temporarily occupied Crimea and transported military cargo for delivery to the Iranian military on behalf of Rosoboronexport. In February and September 2024, the vessel was subject to sanctions imposed by USА and United Kingdom, respectively.

It was involved in transportation of military cargoes (ammunition, shells, armored vests and helmets) from Iran to russia via the Caspian Sea with AIS disconnection. The vessel is also mentioned as being involved in trade cooperation between Iran and russia. From July 2022 to June 2023, the russian-flagged vessel called 15 times at the Iranian ports of Amirabad, Nowshahr, Astara, Anzali, from which it departed for the russian port of Astrakhan and in the opposite direction. The Iranian port of Amirabad is the key point of Iranian drone shipments to russia. Drones are delivered from Tehran to the Iranian port of Amirabad, from where they are transported by sea to Makhachkala, and then by airplanes and ground transportation to launching airfields near the Ukrainian border - Seshcha at the north, in the Bryansk region, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk at the south, in the Krasnodar region. There is a practice of incorrect display of the vessel's load, in some voyages it is impossible to identify the place of loading/unloading. The vessel practises disconnection of AIS near the port, as a result of which the port call is not recorded. The owner of the vessel is the russian LLC "Declaration Firm "VTS-Broker" (TIN 3017037318), which is part of the structure of "VTS Group of Companies", positioned as the largest freight forwarder in the Astrakhan region in the market of transportation and logistics services for general, tare and piece cargoes and containers in russia and the Caspian littoral states. The company's fleet includes seven dry-cargo vessels. Among the company's main clients are sub-sanctioned russian PJSC Mechel (TIN 7703370008), Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan LLC (TIN 3006006420). On 10 September 2024, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel.

It was involved in transportation of military cargoes (ammunition, shells, armored vests and helmets) from Iran to russia via the Caspian Sea with AIS disconnection. The vessel is also mentioned as being involved in trade cooperation between Iran and russia. From July 2022 to June 2023, the russian-flagged vessel called 11 times at the Iranian ports of Amirabad, Nowshahr, Astara, Anzali, from which it departed for the russian port of Astrakhan and in the opposite direction. The Iranian port of Amirabad is the key point of Iranian drone shipments to russia. Drones are delivered from Tehran to the Iranian port of Amirabad, from where they are transported by sea to Makhachkala, and then by airplanes and ground transportation to launching airfields near the Ukrainian border - Seshcha at the north, in the Bryansk region, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk at the south, in the Krasnodar region. There is a practice of incorrect display of the vessel's load, in some voyages it is impossible to identify the place of loading/unloading. The vessel practises disconnection of AIS near the port, as a result of which the port call is not recorded. On 10 September 2024, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel.

It was involved in the transportation of ammunition from Iran to russia across the Caspian sea in February 2024. The vessel started calling Iranian ports in 2019-2020. From August 2022 to June 2023, the russian-flagged vessel called 13 times at the Iranian ports of Amirabad, Nowshahr, Anzali, from which it departed for the russian ports of Astrakhan, Makhachkala, Olya and in the opposite direction. The ship practiced disabling its AIS near the port, resulting in no fixed port call. The Iranian port of Amirabad is a key point of Iranian drone shipments to rf. The drones are delivered from Tehran to the Iranian port of Amirabad, from where they are transported by sea to Makhachkala, and then by airplanes and ground transportation to launching airfields near the Ukrainian border - Seshcha at the north, in the Bryansk region, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk at the south, in the Krasnodar region. On 10 September 2024, USA and United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The vessel is designed to carry heavy vehicles and can accommodate up to 700 tonnes of cargo, including up to 20 trucks and more than 130 passengers. Since 2015, in violation of Ukrainian legislation and the ‘Crimean’ sanctions, the vessel has been making frequent calls to the ports of the TOT of Crimea (Kerch, Kamysh-Burun, and the port of Crimea), delivering cargo, including dangerous goods, and transporting russian military personnel. On 27 July 2022, the vessel made a so-called ‘technical’ (trial) voyage from Yeysk (Krasnodar Territory, russia) to the temporarily occupied city of Mariupol (Ukraine), which is likely used by the russian military to arrange the supply of weapons, military equipment and military personnel to the TOT of Ukraine. Since October 2022, together with the ferry ‘Maria E’ (IMO 9617923), it has been operating on the strategically important for Russia line ‘Crimea-Caucasus’, which, according to Oboronlogistika LLC, is focused on the delivery of civilian and construction cargo to the TOT of Donbas (the vessel has been already involved in this route in the period from 2015 to 2018 before the commissioning of the Crimean bridge). The vessel was involved in fulfilling the tasks set by the supreme commander-in-chief of the russian federation at the Kerch ferry crossing. Since March 2018, the vessel has been involved in the transportation of troops and cargo for the benefit of the Rosgvardia on the ferry route ‘port of Kavkaz - port of Kerch,’ and in November 2022, it was used by the russian company OBL-Trans LLC, a member of the Oboronlogistika group of companies, in the multimodal delivery of medical equipment (a 27-tonne russian-made mobile tomograph) to the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. The vessel is owned and operated by OBL-Shipping LLC (IMO 5945681, TIN: 9705070412, under Ukrainian sanctions), which is a subsidiary of the sanctioned Oboronlogistica LLC (IMO 5906931, TIN: 7718857267). Obl-Shipping LLC also manages the vessels ‘Pizhma’ (IMO 8814354), ‘Ambal’ (IMO 8807416), ‘Sparta II’ (IMO 9160994) on strategic routes important for russia, constantly monitors the serviceability of the fleet, compliance with the rules of safe operation of vessels, etc., and is a certified company for the provision of services for the maritime transportation of nuclear materials, radioactive substances, and radioactive waste.

The vessel is involved in the delivery of ballistic missiles from Iran to russia (Olya port, Astrakhan region) in August-September 2024. At the end of 2023, Iran and russia agreed to transfer weapons systems from Iran to russia. It is known that among the systems that Iran agreed to provide to russia are Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles (CRBM). In early July 2024, about 40 russian servicemen allegedly traveled to Iran to train on Fath-360 CRBM missiles. In August 2024, 25 20-foot-long containers were loaded with ballistic missiles at a missile facility in Iran. Each 20-foot-long container can hold up to nine CRBMs. In mid-August 2024, these 25 containers were transported to the port of Amirabad on the Caspian Sea in Iran and then loaded onto the "Port Olya-3" vessel by August 30. Subsequently, by September 04, 2024, these 25 containers were unloaded from the vessel "Port Olya-3" and loaded onto railroad cars in the port of Olya (russia). The vessel is owned by a russian sanctioned company, MG-Flot LLC, associated with Astrakhan businessman Jamaldin Emirmagomedovich Pashayev, who built his business around the Olya trade port in Astrakhan region. This particular location was proposed as a key logistics hub for the North-South international transport corridor, the creation and construction of which was overseen and controlled by former russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. The key purpose of the transport corridor was to trade with sanctioned Iran, which could import and export goods via the North-South route. On 10 September 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel. On October 18, 2024, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on a ship in connection with the transportation of military cargo from a third country (Iran) to a certain location in russia.

The vessel is involved in numerous cases of export of Ukrainian grain from the temporarily occupied port of Mariupol (TOT of Ukraine). The vessel was captured on russian propaganda videos from the temporarily occupied port of Mariupol during the process of loading grain onto several russian vessels ‘STK-1003’ (IMO 8326058), ‘STK-1016’ (IMO 8521880), ‘Mezhdurechensk’ (IMO 8948167). The vessel is owned by the russian company Remote Marine Terminal LLC (TIN: 7810707496). Several companies loaded grain onto the russian vessels: - Santrade LLC (formerly Sanagro LLC, TIN: 6168119060, Rostov-on- Don), which specialises in the wholesale of grain, unprocessed tobacco, seeds and feed for farm animals. In 2023, the company loaded Ukrainian wheat on all three vessels. The founder of Santrade LLC, Mishchuk M.Y., is the founder of three other companies registered in the TOT of Donetsk region and trading in agricultural crops (mainly grain), namely: AF Agroservice LLC (TIN: 9306001978), Aleksandrovskoye LLC (TIN: 9312009862) and Donagroalliance LLC (TIN: 9309020224), as well as a metallurgical enterprise - Donetsk Foundry LLC (TIN: 9308024353); - Zorka Food LLC (TIN: 9721152398, Moscow), which specialises in the wholesale trade of food, grain, etc; - Asta Group LLC (TIN: 9303017257, TOT of Donetsk), specialising in the wholesale of grain, unprocessed tobacco, seeds and feed for farm animals. The founder of Asta Group LLC, Asatryan R. N., owns Farm Agro-Soyuz LLC (TIN: 9500011198, TOT of Kherson region), which specialises in growing cereals (except rice), legumes, and oilseeds; Complex Supply Don LLC (TIN: 6166085722, Rostov-on-Don), which specialises in the production of vehicle bodies and non-specialised trade.

It is involved in the transportation of goods for the needs of the ministry of defense and the armed forces of the russian federation. It is owned by the sanctioned russian shipping company MG-Flot LLC (formerly Transmorflot LLC). MG-Flot LLC is associated with Astrakhan businessman Jamaldin Emirmagomedovich Pashayev, who built his business around the Olya trade port in Astrakhan region (he owns/controls a network of companies operating in the Olya port). This particular location was proposed as a key logistics hub for the North-South international transport corridor, the creation and construction of which was overseen and controlled by former russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. The key purpose of the transport corridor was to trade with sanctioned Iran, which could import and export goods via the North-South route. Pashayev's companies have been involved in russian exports of military goods since 2021, and have concluded more than 200 agreements on the sea transportation of military goods to countries around the world. Pashayev and his companies are an integral part of the ongoing transfer of goods to the sanctioned russian JSC ‘SEZ PVT Alabuga’, one of the main plants for the assembly of UAVs with the support of Iran for the needs of the russian Ministry of Defence. The vessel ‘Boris Kustodiev’ regularly sails the Caspian Sea, transporting cargo between Iran and russia. On 10 September 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel as the property of the sanctioned MG-Flot LLC.

The vessel is involved in the supply of goods from/to Iran to/from russia. The vessel is owned by the sanctioned russian shipping company MG-Flot LLC (formerly Transmorflot LLC). MG-Flot LLC is associated with Astrakhan businessman Jamaldin Emirmagomedovich Pashayev, who built his business around the Olya trade port in Astrakhan region (he owns/controls a network of companies operating in the Olya port). This particular location was proposed as a key logistics hub for the North-South international transport corridor, the creation and construction of which was overseen and controlled by former russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. The key purpose of the transport corridor was to trade with sanctioned Iran, which could import and export goods via the North-South route. Pashayev's companies have been involved in russian exports of military goods since 2021, and have concluded more than 200 agreements on the sea transportation of military goods to countries around the world. Pashayev and his companies are an integral part of the ongoing transfer of goods to the sanctioned russian JSC ‘SEZ PVT Alabuga’, one of the main plants for the assembly of UAVs with the support of Iran for the needs of the russian Ministry of Defence. The vessel ‘Port Olya-4’ regularly sails the Caspian Sea, transporting cargo between Iran and russia. On 10 September 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel as the property of the sanctioned MG-Flot LLC.

It is involved in the transportation of ammunition from Iran to russia via the Caspian sea for use in the war against Ukraine. On September 10, 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel as the property of the sanctioned russian shipping company More Reka Service LLC, whose vessels transported ammunition from Iran to russia.

It is involved in the transportation of Iranian UAV-related equipment across the Caspian Sea. On 10 September 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel as the property of the sanctioned russian shipping company Wholesale Company Vafa LLC, whose vessels transported Iranian UAV equipment.

It is involved in the transportation of Iranian UAV-related equipment across the Caspian Sea. On 10 September 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel as the property of the sanctioned russian shipping company Wholesale Company Vafa LLC, whose vessels transported Iranian UAV equipment.