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| Type | Vessel | [sources] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | LATUR · MERCURY · Mercury | [sources] | |||
| Country | Russia | [sources] | |||
| Build Date | [sources] | ||||
| Call Sign | D6A3829 · TRAX8 | [sources] | |||
| Deadweight Tonnage | 158881 | [sources] | |||
| Description | During the period of the G7+ oil embargo and the price-cap policy on russian crude oil/oil products, the tanker is involved in the export of russian crude oil/oil products to third countries from russian ports, including with the AIS system disabled. 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 owner and commercial manager of the tanker since February 01, 2024 is an unknown company Gessi Maritime Corp (Seychelles), whose fleet consists of only one oil tanker ІМО 9321706. The ISM-manager of the tanker is Maple Maritime Solutions FZE (UAE), which manages another tanker IMO 9319870, affiliated with the Indian Gatik Ship Management company Galena Ship Management. The tanker ІМО 9321706 is affiliated with the Indian company Gatik Ship Management, one of the leading operators of the so-called 'shadow fleet', which has become the largest carrier of russian oil under sanctions since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine. 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 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. 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. The recent incidents off Malaysia only underscore the need for swift action to curb the potentially devastating impact of the growing 'shadow fleet'. 'Shadow' tankers have already been involved in 50 incidents from the Danish Straits all the way to Malaysia since russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to CREA, from January to August 2024, the number of shadow tankers crossing the Danish Straits in Europe increased by 277% compared to the same period in 2022, with 64% of the 46 million tons of russian marine oil transported through the Danish Straits being transported by shadow tankers. In the same period, the number of shadow tankers in the Straits of Dover and Gibraltar increased by 355% compared to 2022, transporting 67% of the 37 million tons of oil through the straits. The Suez Canal experienced a staggering 649% increase in shadow tanker traffic, with 69% of the 52 million tons of russian crude oil passing through it being transported by these vessels. Thus, the 'shadow fleet' of the russian federation continues to provide multibillion-dollar revenues for the kremlin bypassing sanctions, disguising its activities under the flags of third countries, using complex schemes to conceal owners, and poses significant threats to environmental safety with significant economic costs for coastal countries and/or the international community due to the outdated and inadequate insurance of shadow fleet tankers. On January 10, 2025, USA 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). In June 2025, Canada imposed sanctions on the vessel. On July 21, 2025, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel. · Tanker mothership involved in the trans-shipment of oil cargo to the vessel "Shundlli" (IMO: 8355724) in 2022. The vessel is also currently under investigation by a UN Member State for acting as a mothership for oil transfers. | [sources] | |||
| Flag | Gabon · Comoros | [sources] | |||
| IMO Number | IMO9262170 · IMO9321706 | [sources] | |||
| MMSI | 620999829 · 626315000 | [sources] | |||
| Past Flags | Gabon · Greece · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Liberia · Mongolia | [sources] | |||
| Previous name | Cap Charles · Mercury | [sources] | |||
| Type | 20 · Crude Oil Tanker · Oil Tanker | [sources] | |||
| Source link | eur-lex.europa.eu · eur-lex.europa.eu · sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov | [sources] | |||
| Last change | Last processed | First seen | |||
Transport crude oil or petroleum products, as listed in Annex 24, that originate in Russia or are exported from Russia while practicing irregular and high-risk shipping practices as set out in the International Maritime Organisation General Assembly resolution A.1192(33)
Shipping sanctions: a specified ship is prohibited from being provided with access to or having its master or pilot cause it to enter a port in the UK, may have its registration on the UK Ship Register terminated, and a master or pilot of a specified ship may be given a port barring direction, a detention direction, and a port entry direction or a movement direction.
Supplemental list of people, companies, and organizations sanctioned for involvement in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
European Union · Council
The Consolidated Screening List (CSL) is a list of parties for which the United States Government maintains restrictions on certain exports, re-exports, or transfers of items.
United States · ITA
Sponsors and accomplices of Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.
Ukraine · GUR
Switzerland manages a sanctions lists with a high degree of detail on the individuals that are subject to it's embargoes
Switzerland · SECO
Sanctions imposed by Canada on specific countries, organizations, or individuals under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) and JVCFOA
Canada · Global Affairs Canada
UK sanctions collated by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
United Kingdom · FCDO
The primary United States' sanctions list, specially designated nationals (SDN) part.
United States · OFAC
A database of entities and events related to North Korea's sanctions evasion efforts.
United Kingdom · RUSI · non-official source
The EU Sanctions Map is a visualisation of EU sanctions policy. It includes a broader set of policies and entities than the EU consolidated sanctions list.
European Union · Council
gb-fcdo-rus2847 · ua-ws-vessel-420 · ca-sema-c27c246c7f221dddcbe7c9c5ab1ff3115c516f9d · eu-oj-d20dbeec11e9113bb85c77bbe8480d7126db951f · eu-sancmap-d7a486018095b8dce2819f23a84a41ed6c209cce · ua-ws-d9e773119b6519ae72cf3d32612bfe5f6e523ce6 · kprusi-2ab8593e7cfcf59e5069d76fb85b9ab94f9f3a0a · ch-seco-89803 · NK-B7oEsaoD57CSPe5EqwFu84 · ofac-52339 · ua-ws-d48d109631fc6b3c5d4adccfd7dcdc31e098ad41 · NK-6tbncKGAUUdiKUzeyLvYoDFor experts: raw data explorer
OpenSanctions is free for non-commercial users. Businesses must acquire a data license to use the dataset.
| Sanctions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Authority | Program | Start date | End date | |
| United Kingdom | Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · UK | - | |||
| Linked from | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Role | Start date | End date | |
| Gessi Maritime Corporation Export controlled · Sanctioned entity | commerce_manager | - | ||
| Owner | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Country | Legal form | Status | |
| Gessi Maritime Corp · Gessi Maritime Corporation · Джессі Маритайм Корп · ゲッシ・マリタイム・コーポレーション | Seychelles | - | - | |
| Owners | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Percentage held | Start date | End date | |
| Gessi Maritime Corporation Export controlled · Sanctioned entity | - | - | ||
| Canada | Global Affairs Canada | Special Economic Measures Act | - | - |
| United States | Office of Foreign Assets Control | Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions | - | - |
| Ukraine | ГУР МО України | Vessels involved in the transportation of weapons, stolen Ukrainian products and in the circumvention of sanctions | - | - |
| Switzerland | State Secretariat for Economic Affairs | Measures In Relation To The Situation In Ukraine | - |
| security_manager |
| - |
| Gessi Maritime Corporation Export controlled · Sanctioned entity | - | - | - |