Russian Warship Spotted Escorting Two Inbound Stateless Tankers
Two stateless tankers inbound to the Russian oil operations in the Baltic were spotted traveling with a Russian warship. Russia in the past has been seen escorting some of its military cargo ships, and in May appeared to be escorting outbound shadow fleet tankers in the Baltic following the increasing effort by the Baltic nations and the EU to crack down on the shadow fleet.
The latest move was called “A major step in sanctions evasion,” in a LinkedIn posting from Mark Douglas, a maritime domain awareness analyst at Starboard Maritime Intelligence. He reported the escort using data from open-source intelligence on Bluesky. Douglas suggested it was “deliberate timing” for the tankers to meet up with the Russian corvette Boikiy as they reached the English Channel and headed to the Baltic. The vessels are now in the Kattegat, but neither tanker is showing an accurate destination on its AIS signal.
The two tankers have each been sanctioned by the UK and one also by the EU. The Equasis database lists both with unknown flags and links them to companies in Dubai and India.
The tanker Naxos (105,827 dwt) is alternately using the name Selva and is displaying Palau as its flag after previously showing Panama. In 2022, it reported registry first in the Marshall Islands and later in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The tanker Sierra (113,905 dwt) is displaying a flag of Malawi after having been registered in São Tomé & Principe in 2023 and before that Barbados and Gabon. Until 2022, the vessel was known as Suvorovsky Prospect and was managed by Russia’s SCF (Sovcomflot).
They were spotted traveling with the Boikiy (2,100 displacement tons), a Steregushchy-class corvette that appears to be employed for various escort duties of merchant ships. The vessel was commissioned in 2013 and, in mid-May, was spotted accompanying the Russian-flagged cargo vessels MV Siyanie Severa and MV Patria as they headed south into the Atlantic Ocean, according to Itamilradar. In March and again in early May, the UK's Royal Navy reported tracking the same warship along with merchant ships on transits of the English Channel.
Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said in a TV interview in late May that tankers crossing the Gulf of Finland from Russia had a naval escort. It came after Estonia attempted to inspect another tanker that was suspected of being stateless. A Russian fighter jet briefly appeared as Estonia was attempting to contact the tanker, but the tanker refused to be directed into local waters and continued on its course.
Last week, Denmark identified another stateless tanker inbound to Russia. The Danish Maritime Authority reported that the tanker had misled the authorities, reporting it was registered in Comoros. Denmark tracked the vessel into and out of the Baltic but did not attempt to stop it.
Other countries, including Sweden, have vowed to increase their efforts if the stateless tankers enter their territories. The EU and UK have also increased the number of tankers they have listed, seeking to further crack down on the shadow fleet and Russia’s oil exports.
Ukraine Seeks Auctioneer to Sell Seized Turkish Cargo Ship
Ukraine’s National Agency for Tracing and Asset Management (ARMA) is calling for proposals to manage the sale of a Turkish cargo ship it seized in 2024 on charges that it looted grain from Crimea. It is the latest step in efforts by Ukraine to sell off seized vessels to raise hard currency to fund its war efforts.
ARMA is looking for someone to organize the sale of the Usko MFU (2,850 dwt). Built in 1982, the ship is registered in Cameroon, but during its years in service, it has also been registered in Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, St Vincent and Grenadines, and Croatia. The ship is 308 feet (94 meters) in length. It has a spotty safety record frequently being cited for deficiencies during Port State Inspections.
“The vessel, despite the technical need for further development, has significant investment potential. In particular, it concerns the presence of the main power unit, basic navigation infrastructure, and the possibility of further restoration or re-equipment. The asset is attractive both for future commercial use and for companies specializing in ship repair or recycling of marine transport,” writes ARMA in the sale notice.
Proposals are being accepted until July 4, and then it will select an auction organizer for the sale of the cargo ship. The selected organizer will be responsible for obtaining an independent valuation and then organizing the sale.
The ship was detained on the Danube at Reni, Ukraine on July 2, 2024, on allegations it had turned off its AIS signal and was bound for Moldova. The Prosecutor General supplied more specifics saying according to its investigation in November 2023 the ship entered and left Sevastopol with more than 3,000 tons of agricultural products intended for a Turkish company. To hide its activity the vessel turned off its AIS transmissions. At the end of May 2024, they reported the ship returned to Sevastopol where it unloaded cargo from Turkey. The AIS signal was again turned off.
The Ukrainians searched the ship and confiscated records and electronics. When it was stopped there were 12 crewmembers aboard in including a captain from Azerbaijan. Reports said Ukraine was prosecuting the captain and another officer. The media is now saying the captain was released with a fine. The Turkish owner of the vessel denied the allegations saying the vessel had been to Crimea under a prior owner.
The courts ordered the ship confiscated in October 2024 for damages to the state and ARMA reports it has management of the ship under a court order. ARMA seeks to manage and sell the assets it receives to fund the government. Earlier this week it filed with the court to take control of nine smaller vessels, including three Russian VolgoBalt tankers. It asked the court to prevent the ships from going to sea as a first step toward taking management. At the end of last week, it was also successful in the court in stopping the removal of a Panama-flagged bulker Emmakris III (70,000 dwt) that has been detained in Chornomorsk since the start of the war. In August 2024, ARMA advertised for a manager for the vessel saying it would be used to store grain.
ARMA also continues its fight over the seized luxury yacht Royal Romance which is linked to exiled businessman and Russian supporter Viktor Medvedchuk. Ukraine was successful in having the yacht seized in 2022 while it was in Croatia. After a period of mandatory maintenance, ARMA says it will contact the Prosecutor General's Office in an effort to update the process of selling the seized yacht in accordance with current legislation.
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