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GANGA

Shadow fleet · Person of interest · Sanctioned entity
TypeVessel[sources]
NameDALVA · GANGA · Ganga[sources]
Build Date[sources]
Call SignD6A4044[sources]
Deadweight Tonnage109996[sources]
DescriptionDuring 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. On May 20, 2025, the EU imposed sanctions, which will enter into force on May 21, 2025, on the tanker for the transportation of crude oil/petroleum products originating in or exported from russia, using irregular high-risk shipping practices as specified in the International Maritime Organization General Assembly Resolution A.1192(33). On June 03, 2025, the sanctions imposed by Switzerland on the vessel came into force. In June 2025, Canada imposed sanctions on the vessel. In June 2025, Australia imposed sanctions on the vessel.[sources]
FlagDjibouti · Comoros[sources]
IMO NumberIMO9378620[sources]
MMSI620800044[sources]
Past FlagsDjibouti · Gabon · Hong Kong SAR · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Liberia[sources]
Previous nameGanga · Lr2 Polaris · Polaris Bay · Varvara[sources]
Type20 · Oil Tanker[sources]
Source linkeur-lex.europa.eu[sources]
Last changeLast processedFirst seen

Descriptions

Article 4x(2), point (b): transport crude oil or petroleum products, as listed in Annex XIII, 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)

— EU Council Official Journal Sanctioned Entities,

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.

— UK FCDO Sanctions List,

Relationships

Data sources

UK FCDO Sanctions List5,976

Official register of individuals, entities, and vessel subject to UK sanctions under regulations made pursuant to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.

United Kingdom · FCDO

Ukraine War and Sanctions5,348

Sponsors and accomplices of Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

Ukraine · GUR

EU Council Official Journal Sanctioned Entities2,796

Supplemental list of people, companies, and organizations sanctioned for involvement in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

European Union · Council

Source data IDs: eu-oj-5fed65dbb8cffd050bcdfe7477a5743015a1ae3a · NK-2QfqJ4A5qGrnGMLjDvzzoj · gb-fcdo-rus2492 · ua-ws-bb52555da2ef4e3eec86ec2c8a4bbbd61c05a9e8 · ua-ws-vessel-507 · ua-ws-bc35061f9d3ebd0a1d5a06c59f20c116f7863c11

For experts: raw data explorer

FactsheetDescriptionsData sources
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