oil tankers

Sanctions-suspect tanker Grinch traveling from Russia taken to Marseille

An oil tanker named Grinch, traveling from Russia and suspected of violating international sanctions, was taken to the French port of Marseille after being detained, French television channel BFMTV reported, citing officials from the Mediterranean maritime prefecture on Jan. 25.

25 January, 06:58 PM

U.S. plans to intercept sanctioned Russian oil tanker—report

The United States intends to intercept a Russian oil tanker previously bound for Venezuela, CNN reported on Jan. 6, citing four people familiar with planning.

6 January, 09:53 PM

Shipping company cuts Russia operations after tanker attack

Turkish maritime shipping company Besiktas Shipping will stop all dealings with Russia after one of its oil tankers, the Mersin, was badly damaged by explosions near the coast of Senegal, Reuters reported on Dec. 2.

2 December 2025, 11:46 PM

Putin threatens expanded strikes on Ukrainian ports

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has threatened to expand strikes on Ukrainian ports and the vessels that dock there after a series of attacks on Moscow’s sanction-busting “shadow fleet” oil tankers in the Black Sea.

2 December 2025, 10:19 PM

Russian tanker detained in France linked to drones over Denmark

Boracay, the “shadow fleet” oil tanker detained by French authorities days ago, is suspected to have launched the mysterious UAVs that flew over Denmark last week, AFP reported on Oct. 1.

2 October 2025, 12:36 AM

France detains sanctioned Russian oil tanker

French authorities have detained the oil tanker Boracay, a vessel under EU and UK sanctions targeting Russia, after it sailed through the English Channel, Reuters reported on Sept. 30.

1 October 2025, 01:12 AM

Explosion in the Mediterranean: Ukraine’s HUR details fire aboard Russian shadow fleet tanker — photos

The Vilamoura tanker, which suffered an explosion in its engine room, had been repeatedly used to illegally transport petroleum products from Russian ports in violation of sanctions, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry intelligence agency (HUR) said on July 1.

1 July 2025, 12:28 PM

Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker catches fire in Gulf of Oman

Crude oil tanker Adalynn, part of Russia’s sanction-busting “shadow fleet,” caught fire after colliding with another tanker, Front Eagle, in the Gulf of Oman on June 17.

17 June 2025, 09:44 PM

Russian signal spoofing creates ‘phantom’ ships in Gulf of Finland — report

In the Gulf of Finland, a giant circle of “phantom” Russian vessels has been detected, caused by false maritime navigation signals, The Moscow Times reported on May 27.

27 May 2025, 11:41 PM

UK hits Putin’s shadow oil jugular

Britain is to announce its biggest ever sanctions package targeting up to 100 oil tankers of Russia’s shadow fleet, ramping up pressure on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and protecting UK and European critical national infrastructure, according to a Cabinet press release published on May 9.

9 May 2025, 10:40 AM

Russian ‘shadow fleet’ operators relocate to UAE to dodge sanctions

About 60 companies operating Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers have moved their registration to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to evade Western sanctions, the Finnish newspaper Yle reported on March 3.

3 March 2025, 12:17 PM

Series of mystery blasts hit Russian-linked tankers

Three oil tankers recently calling at Russian ports have been damaged by explosions on board in different parts of the Mediterranean over the past month, the causes of which are unknown, Reuters reported on Feb. 19, citing shipping and security sources.

20 February 2025, 12:45 PM

EU mulls legal steps to seize Moscow’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers

Europe is seeking to limit the shadow fleet of aggressor state Russia following a series of incidents in the Baltic Sea, Politico reported on Feb. 10.

10 February 2025, 12:29 PM

Oil tanker carrying 130,000 tons sinking in Russia’s Ust-Luga port

A 130,000-ton oil tanker began sinking in Russia’s Ust-Luga port in Leningrad Oblast following a series of explosions in the ship’s engine room, the Telegram channel Baza reported on Feb. 9.

9 February 2025, 05:34 PM

Western tankers propel Russia's shadow oil trade

At least 230 tankers have been sold by owners in Europe and the United States to Russia's shadow fleet to transport Russian oil, evade Western sanctions, and finance the Kremlin's war in Ukraine, the independent investigative news outlet Follow the Money wrote on Feb. 4.

5 February 2025, 09:05 AM

Russian tankers spill devastates Black Sea ecosystem

The Russian oil tanker accidents in the Kerch Strait on Dec. 15 caused an estimated damage of more than $14 billion to the Black Sea ecosystem, Ukraine's Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk told her Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts during the Dec. 17 online meeting.

17 December 2024, 01:18 PM

Greenpeace warns of environmental disaster in Black and Azov Seas

The Black Sea and the Sea of Azov are facing an environmental disaster caused by Russia's militarization of their waters, Greenpeace Ukraine said in its Dec. 15 statement following incidents with two Russian oil tankers in the Kerch Strait.

16 December 2024, 09:19 AM

Russian ships carrying tons of fuel oil sinking in Kerch Strait

Two Russian ships, Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239, are in distress eight kilometers off the coast near the Kerch Strait.

15 December 2024, 12:29 PM

Next round of EU sanctions takes aim at Russia's ‘shadow fleet’

The European Union is preparing its 15th sanctions package against Russia aimed at the "shadow fleet" of tankers Moscow uses to export oil to international markets, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 14.

14 November 2024, 09:04 PM

Russia boosts shadow fleet of oil tankers amid Western sanctions

The Russian capacity to transport oil on old underinsured vessels has increased by 70% since 2023, the Financial Times wrote on Oct. 14, citing a report by the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE).

14 October 2024, 01:02 PM

oil tankers

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