Three of the five tankers struck by the US the day before yesterday were linked to Russia's shadow fleet
Three of the five oil tankers that American forces struck on September 8 have a direct connection to Russia's 'shadow fleet'. This was announced by Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Sanctions Policy, writes 'Ukrinform'.
Tanker Kaviz. Photo: vesselfinder.com
According to him, the tankers in question are Kaviz, Charminar, and Riesco. They transported Russian oil, called at Russian ports, and were used for operations under sanctions. The US strikes on five Iranian oil tankers themselves were carried out on September 8 in response to Iran's attempts to attack an American warship.
The tanker Kaviz, as Vlasiuk noted, called at the Russian ports of Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk, transported Russian oil, and disabled its Automatic Identification System (AIS), which allows tracking of vessel movements. It was linked to the company Fractal Marine DMCC, which is called one of the main operators of Russia's 'shadow fleet' in the first years after sanctions were imposed against Russian oil.
Charminar, according to Vlasiuk, called at Ust-Luga, Primorsk, Vysotsk, and St. Petersburg. After the UK imposed sanctions against Fractal Marine, vessels linked to the company began to be registered under other managers, but Russian oil shipments continued. Additionally, Charminar is linked to a shipping structure controlled by Iranian oil magnate Mohammed Hossein Shamkhani. This structure deals with both Iranian and Russian oil simultaneously.
The tanker Riesco, as Vlasiuk claims, also transported oil from both countries. Specifically, Russian and Iranian oil could be moved through transshipments from other sanctioned vessels. According to the Ukrainian official, this tanker clearly shows how the Russian and Iranian sanctions circumvention systems intersect.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk emphasized that all three tankers are under sanctions by Ukraine and the US. Kaviz, in addition, is included in the sanctions lists of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Switzerland.
He stated that the Russian and Iranian 'shadow fleets' are connected through vessels, managers, intermediaries, and oil transportation routes. Therefore, in his opinion, measures against such vessels should be severe regardless of their formal flag and owners.