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ASTERI

Shadow fleet · Person of interest · Sanctioned entity
TypeVessel[sources]
NameASTERI · FIORA · Fiora[sources]
Build Date[sources]
Call SignN/A[sources]
Deadweight Tonnage104999 · 113782[sources]
DescriptionDuring the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price-cap policy on russian oil, the tanker is involved in the export of russian oil from russian ports in the Baltic Sea, of the Pacific region mainly to China and India. The international NGO Greenpeace refers to the tanker as a shadow fleet of tankers transporting russian oil around the world and threatening the environment. The tanker is linked to sanctioned companies Fractal Marine DMCC (UAE), Wanta Shipping LLC-FZ (UAE), Algae Ship Charter FZCO (UAE), and The Zulu Ships Management and Operation — Sole Proprietorship LLC (UAE), which managed the vessel in 2022-2024. Fractal Marine DMCC (UAE) is considered one of the leading operators of the shadow fleet, which in early 2023 was among the three largest carriers of russian oil, together with Radiating World Shipping Services LLC (UAE) and Gatik Ship Management (India), and played a significant role in the export of russian crude oil to countries around the world during the period of sanctions restrictions. Fractal Marine DMCC managed a fleet of 28 tankers as an intermediary between shipowners and charterers. Fractal Marine DMCC (UAE), Wanta Shipping LLC-FZ (UAE), Algae Ship Charter FZCO (UAE), The Zulu Ships Management and Operation — Sole Proprietorship LLC (UAE) are part of a shipping empire controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, the chief political advisor to Iran's supreme leader. Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani uses his father's political influence to corrupt top-level officials in the Iranian regime in order to build and operate a huge fleet of tankers and container ships. This fleet transports oil and petroleum products from Iran and russia, as well as other cargoes, to buyers around the world, generating tens of billions of dollars in profits. Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani's shipping empire consists of a vast fleet of vessels, ship management companies, and front companies that launder billions of dollars in profits from the global sale of Iranian and russian crude oil and petroleum products, mostly to buyers in the PRC. The shipping empire takes significant measures to conceal its operations and obscure its ties to the Shamkhani family, Iran, and russia. Fractal Marine DMCC played an important role in the management and operation of the tanker and container ship fleet of Mohammed Hossein Shamkhani's shipping network. Algae Ship Charter FZCO, Wanta Shipping LLC-FZ (UAE), and The Zulu Ships Management and Operation — Sole Proprietorship LLC (UAE) provide operational services for the fleet of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani's shipping network. Wanta Shipping LLC-FZ provided technical management for the vessel IMO 9308065, which was involved in an incident in the Baltic Sea due to technical malfunctions. On January 10, 2025, the IMO vessel 9308065, loaded with russian oil (99,000 tons) in the port of Ust-Luga, lost control in the Baltic Sea. According to the German Havariekommando, the ship's power supply and engine failed, it lost its ability to maneuver and began to drift at low speed in the open sea near the island of Rügen. This incident once again demonstrates the growing threat of oil spills from aging ships in the shadow fleet. The tanker is also linked to Tarabya Logistics Ltd (UAE), which was sanctioned by the EU and Switzerland in July and August 2025 for operating vessels that engaged in illicit and high-risk shipping practices (sailing with gaps in automatic identification systems and high-risk ship-to-ship transshipments) while transporting oil of russian origin or exported from russia. 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). On April 11, 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the master of vessel IMO 9282493. On May 09, 2025, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the tanker as part of the restrictions on the russian shadow fleet. According to GISIS IMO data as of July 15, 2025, the vessel's registration name is ASTERI, and the flag is designated as "Sint Maarten False". Since September 18, 2025, Australia has imposed sanctions on the vessel.[sources]
FlagGambia[sources]
Gross Registered Tonnage63598[sources]
IMO NumberIMO9282493[sources]
MMSI629009042[sources]
Past FlagsIsle of Man · Marshall Islands · Panama[sources]
Previous nameBritish Cormorant · Fiora · Tartan · Vaigai[sources]
Type20 · Oil Tanker · Oil tanker[sources]
Source linkeur-lex.europa.eu · eur-lex.europa.eu[sources]
Last changeLast processedFirst seen

Descriptions

Previous names include FIORA

— Australian Sanctions Consolidated List,

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)

— Swiss SECO Sanctions/Embargoes,

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

EU Council Official Journal Sanctioned Entities2,792

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

European Union · Council

Australian Sanctions Consolidated List4,602

The Consolidated List is a list of all persons and entities who are subject to targeted financial sanctions under Australian sanctions law

Australia · DFAT

Swiss SECO Sanctions/Embargoes7,773

Switzerland manages a sanctions lists with a high degree of detail on the individuals that are subject to it's embargoes

Switzerland · SECO

EU Sanctions Map1,319

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

Ukraine War and Sanctions5,394

Sponsors and accomplices of Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

Ukraine · GUR

UK FCDO Sanctions List5,982

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

External databases

The record has been enriched with data from the following external databases:

Tokyo MoU Port State Control Inspections615

Vessels inspected by member authorities under the Tokyo MoU.

External dataset · Global · Tokyo MoU

Source data IDs: gb-fcdo-rus2559 · eu-oj-65395bd7677898e8d41a5c1ececb5c1184bf35fc · au-dfat-8310-asteri · eu-sancmap-fd035639af08dfd83e63cf770c7fdd728081da0c · eu-sancmap-355dcc1c5a00c8e0be7902018e628d0e10db2cc5 · ua-ws-1ce0b9e472deb5a0e7211233b3bfde8b1580eda4 · ua-ws-vessel-493 · tokyo-mou-psc-fc6e3b36f18a72d1010fdc8ee1f78b760c49d0f5 · ua-ws-94a944ff902261e801c7215075a19c6e917718d0 · ch-seco-90239 · ua-ws-8b63be8aa0e06d4bc3bece54dbc89abb34c02056

For experts: raw data explorer

FactsheetDescriptionsData sources
OpenSanctions · Data you can trust, on people you can’t
OpenSanctions Datenbanken GmbH · info@opensanctions.org · https://opensanctions.org/meeting