The tanker, during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and price cap policy on russian crude oil/petroleum products, has been involved since June 2023 in the export of russian crude oil/petroleum products from the russian ports of Novorossiysk, Primorsk, Ust-Luga, as well as from the floating oil storage facility IMO 9196620 VLCC-class, which is a part of the roadside transshipment complex in the Kola Bay and is considered a key element of the Arctic russian oil export chain, created for transshipment of oil from Arctic fields by Gazprom Neft.
The tanker resorts to disabling AIS and conducting dark activities in the vicinity of russian ports in the Baltic Sea, as well as in the Kola Bay area.
From July 20, 2025, the EU imposed sanctions on a tanker for transporting crude oil/petroleum products that originate in russia or are exported from russia using irregular and high-risk shipping practices as set out in the International Maritime Organization General Assembly resolution A.1192 (33).
Since March 2025, the owner and commercial manager of the tanker is Erika Freight Ltd, registered at Suite 10, 3rd Floor, La Ciotat, Mont Fleuri, Mahe Island Seychelles, which is widely used to register companies of owners and managers of tankers of the russian shadow fleet. Since March 2025, the ISM manager of the tanker has been Marine Innovators LLC, a company from Azerbaijan, whose fleet as of June 14, 2025, in addition to the tanker IMO 9286281, includes the tanker IMO 9185528, which is considered part of the russian shadow fleet.
The tanker, during the period of the G7 and EU oil embargo and price cap policy on russian crude oil/petroleum products, has been involved since June 2023 in the export of russian crude oil/petroleum products from the russian ports of Novorossiysk, Primorsk, Ust-Luga, as well as from the floating oil storage facility IMO 9196620 VLCC-class, which is a part of the roadside transshipment complex in the Kola Bay and is considered a key element of the Arctic russian oil export chain, created for transshipment of oil from Arctic fields by Gazprom Neft. The tanker resorts to disabling AIS and conducting dark activities in the vicinity of russian ports in the Baltic Sea, as well as in the Kola Bay area. Since March 2025, the owner and commercial manager of the tanker is Erika Freight Ltd, registered at Suite 10, 3rd Floor, La Ciotat, Mont Fleuri, Mahe Island Seychelles, which is widely used to register companies of owners and managers of tankers of the russian shadow fleet. Since March 2025, the ISM manager of the tanker has been Marine Innovators LLC, a company from Azerbaijan, whose fleet as of June 14, 2025, in addition to the tanker IMO 9286281, includes the tanker IMO 9185528, which is considered part of the russian shadow fleet. From July 20, 2025, the EU imposed sanctions on a tanker for transporting crude oil/petroleum products that originate in russia or are exported from russia using irregular and high-risk shipping practices as set out in the International Maritime Organization General Assembly resolution A.1192 (33). On August 12, 2025, Switzerland imposed sanctions on the vessel.
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).