The previous owner of the vessel until April 2024 was the Greek company Thenamaris Ships Management. The tanker was sold to an unknown buyer, and, according to the international public organization Greenpeace, is part of the shadow fleet of the russian federation.
Oil exports from russia are the most important source of income for the kremlin regime to finance the war against Ukraine. The tax on oil production collected by the russian federation in 2023 amounted to 8.9 trillion rubles, or 31% of total federal revenues. According to CREA data for September 2024, russia's revenues from crude oil exported by sea amounted to 192 million euros per day, 86% of the total volume of russian marine crude oil was transported by shadow tankers, while tankers owned or insured in countries that impose price restrictions accounted for 14% of the total value of russian oil exported in September.
Since 2024, during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and the price-cap policy on russian oil, the tanker has been involved in the export of oil to third countries from russian ports in the Baltic Sea.
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 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.
The shadow tanker fleet continues to generate multibillion-dollar revenues for the kremlin by circumventing sanctions by disguising its activities under third-country flags, using complex schemes to conceal owners, and poses significant environmental safety hazards with significant economic costs to coastal countries and/or the international community due to the outdated and inadequately insured shadow fleet tankers.
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.
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)
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)