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Meru

Shadow fleet · Person of interest · Sanctioned entity

Meru is subject to sanctions. See the individual program listings below.

Type	Vessel				[sources]
Name	MERU · Meru				[sources]
Build Date	2000				[sources]
Call Sign	`9LS2036`				[sources]
Deadweight Tonnage	159999				[sources]
Description	The tanker, during the period of the G7+ oil embargo and the price-cap policy on russian crude oil/oil products, is involved in the export of russian crude oil/oil products and in dark activities at sea. The international non-governmental organization Greenpeace refers to the tanker as a shadowy fleet of tankers transporting russian oil around the world and threatening the environment. According to the USA-based human rights group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic using satellite data, the vessel was involved in the transportation of Iranian oil and switched to transporting russian oil in July 2023. Since the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, more than 100 vessels that previously helped Tehran export Iranian export oil are now helping russia transport russian oil/oil products. In May 2022, UANI first predicted that russia would turn to the 'ghost armada' to ensure oil flows to its Chinese partner. Shadow fleet of russia continues to generate 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 environmental threats with significant economic costs to coastal countries and/or the international community due to the outdated and inadequate insurance of shadow fleet tankers.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 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. On July 21, 2025, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the vessel. In August 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the tanker's master.				[sources]
Flag	Comoros · Sierra Leone				[sources]
Gross Registered Tonnage	81093				[sources]
IMO Number	`IMO9187227`				[sources]
MMSI	`667002333`				[sources]
Past Flags	Cameroon · Germany · Comoros · Liberia · Marshall Islands · 2 more...				[sources]
Previous name	Cape Bantry · Front Sky · Krit · Kriti Sfakia · Omega · 2 more...				[sources]
Type	20 · Crude Oil Tanker				[sources]
Source link	eur-lex.europa.eu · sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov				[sources]
Last change	2025-10-16	Last processed	2025-10-17	First seen	2025-01-10

Descriptions

Transport crude oil or petroleum products 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, 2025-06-03

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, 2025-05-20

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, 2025-09-15

Relationships

Sanctions
Country	Authority	Program	Start date	End date
European Union	Council of the European Union		2025-05-21	-

Linked from
Subject	Role	Start date	End date
ALEXEEV Andrey Person of interest	captain	-	-
Harmony Grove Corporation Export controlled · Sanctioned entity

Owner
Name	Country	Legal form	Status
Harmony Grove Corp · Harmony Grove Corporation	Seychelles	-	-

Owners
Owner	Percentage held	Start date	End date
Harmony Grove Corporation Export controlled · Sanctioned entity	-	-	-

Data sources

Ukraine War and Sanctions5,276

Sponsors and accomplices of Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

Ukraine · GUR

US Trade Consolidated Screening List (CSL)23,238

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

US OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List35,030

The primary United States' sanctions list, specially designated nationals (SDN) part.

United States · OFAC

UK FCDO Sanctions List5,962

UK sanctions collated by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

United Kingdom · FCDO

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

Swiss SECO Sanctions/Embargoes7,687

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

Switzerland · SECO

Source data IDs: gb-fcdo-rus2850 · NK-MseR87qJjuTX8XkFJtsEBc · eu-oj-6c7180d93fc0057453f0ad40d5c0ad7bb74ac41f · ch-seco-92280 · ofac-51908 · ua-ws-vessel-479 · ua-ws-56e4e1ad30eda16469c34930e6c7b562ae6f391e

For experts: raw data explorer

Factsheet Descriptions Data sources

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