Russia illegally transships oil in open waters near EU

Russia has been conducting illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers in open waters near Greece, using uninsured tankers and circumventing sanctions.

Source: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU)

Details: Since July 2024, the Russian tanker IMO 9247443 has been operating without Western insurance, conducting illicit ship-to-ship oil transfers in international waters near Greece and Cyprus.

The agency stated that such operations are non-transparent, pose environmental risks and enable evasion of sanctions oversight.

DIU revealed this tanker serves as a floating hub for distributing Russian oil subject to international sanctions. The War&Sanctions portal has published data on 577 vessels, including 159 active members of Russia's shadow fleet, as well as the names of 55 captains.

Russia has actively employed tactics such as disabling AIS, conducting night-time STS operations, spoofing navigation data and using shell companies. These transfers often occur at night, without lights or insurance, significantly increasing the risk of major accidents.

Background:

• France’s Navy has deployed the 101-metre reconnaissance vessel Dupuy de Lôme to the Baltic Sea for the first time to intercept radio signals related to Russian activity.
• On 20 May, the EU Council approved the 17th package of sanctions against Russia.

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