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RIGEL

Shadow fleet · Person of interest · Sanctioned entity
TypeVessel[sources]
NameRIGEL · Rigel[sources]
Build Date[sources]
Deadweight Tonnage146270[sources]
DescriptionThe tanker is involved in the export of russian oil from russian ports in the Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and Pacific region to third countries, as well as to the EU countries in violation of the G7 and EU oil embargo on russian oil. In particular, in December 2023, the vessel transported russian oil from the port of Novorossiysk ( russia) to the EU countries through a transshipment in the Lakonikos Bay. The international public organization Greenpeace refers to the tanker as a shadowy fleet of tankers transporting russian oil around the world and threatening the environment. 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 Caishan Ship Management, Gaurik Ship Management, Plutos Ship Management, Geras Ship Management, Girik Ship Management, Orion Ship Management, Nautilus Shipping, Ark Seakonnect Shipmanagement, 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 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. On April 11, 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the master of the tanker IMO 9296406. On May 09, 2025, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the tanker as part of the restrictions on the shadow fleet of the russian federation, including for engaging in activities aimed at destabilizing Ukraine, undermining/threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine or benefiting from or supporting the government of russia, and participating in the transportation of crude oil/petroleum products of russian origin, in particular, from russia to a third country. On May 20, 2025, the EU imposed sanctions, which 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.[sources]
FlagPanama[sources]
IMO NumberIMO9296406[sources]
Past FlagsGabon · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Liberia[sources]
Previous nameIce Transporter · Pagos[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

Ukraine War and Sanctions5,276

Sponsors and accomplices of Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

Ukraine · GUR

EU Council Official Journal Sanctioned Entities2,532

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

European Union · Council

UK FCDO Sanctions List5,962

UK sanctions collated by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

United Kingdom · FCDO

Source data IDs: ua-ws-vessel-434 · eu-oj-5eb7e1e4ae95592d814dad275c94603d27386c7a · ua-ws-c8452b87e22e7fd0d82c5b6ecd6775eb2e7a4b05 · gb-fcdo-rus2565

For experts: raw data explorer

FactsheetDescriptionsData sources
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OpenSanctions Datenbanken GmbH · info@opensanctions.org · https://opensanctions.org/meeting