| Description | During the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price cap policy on russian oil/oil products, the tanker is involved in the export of russian oil/oil products mainly from russian ports in the Black Sea, including through STS transfers with the vessels of the hadow fleet near European countries. Transshipment of oil/oil products of russian origin by STS method at sea allows concealing the ownership and origin of the cargo, and legalizing their supply to the EU, the US and other countries. In turn, the sale of oil/oil products on the world market allows accumulating significant financial resources in the state budget of the russian federation, which are used, among other things, to build up the military potential of the aggressor state and to provide material support for russia's military operations on the territory of Ukraine. In 2023, the tanker was involved in the export of numerous consignments (more than 180 thousand tons) of russian oil products (ordered by Tüpras Türkiye Petrol Rafinerileri A.Ş., Tejarinaft FZCO) from the russian port of Tuapse, where the production complex belonging to the sanctioned PJSC Rosneft Oil Company - Tuapse Oil Refinery with a sea terminal - is located. The shippers of the cargoes were the sanctioned russian Rosneft (four shipments) and Amur Trading FZCO (two shipments). In November 2024, after leaving the russian port of Novorossiysk, the tanker made an STS transfer with the tanker IMO 9323352 in the area near Romania. The tanker IMO 9323352 has been affiliated since August 2023 with the Indian company Peninsular Maritime India Pvt. Ltd, whose fleet includes shadow fleet tankers, in particular, tanker IMO 9329760, involved in the transportation of russian oil/oil products from russian ports in the Baltic Sea, deceptive shipping practices, in particular, conducting shadow activities in the Baltic Sea near the russian port of Ust-Luga, used by russia as a spy platform aimed at monitoring NATO naval and air activities, involved in subversive activities in the Baltic Sea, on December 26, 2024, detained by the Finnish authorities on suspicion of breaking the anchor of the Estlink 2 submarine cable on December 25, 2024. The fleet of Peninsular Maritime India Pvt. Ltd also owns the sanctioned tanker IMO 9323376, involved in the export of russian oil/oil products from russian ports in the Black and Baltic Seas. The tanker is connected to an incident that threatened environmental safety. On August 25, 2024, the vessel was heading to Benghazi (Libya) from Novorossiysk when its engine failed at the entrance to the Bosphorus. The tanker went into the current and became a threat to navigation. Tugs sent to the incident area were able to take the tanker under tow and moved it to an anchorage near Turkel. In 2025, the vessel continues to export russian oil/oil products from the russian ports of Tuapse and Novorossiysk, in particular, from the Sheskharis terminal, which is a transshipment complex, the end point of the main pipelines of Chernomortransneft JSC (TIN: 2315072242, under US sanctions), a subsidiary of the sanctioned russian PJSC Transneft (TIN: 7706061801), including the use of deceptive practices (turning off AIS, conducting shadowy activities in the Kerch Strait and russian ports in the Black Sea). | [sources] |
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