The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service continues operations to halt the activities of Russia's "shadow" fleet vessels and the companies collaborating with Moscow. It has been discovered that the Kremlin is using tankers owned by Greek citizens or managed by Greek companies to finance the war against Ukraine.
For example, the Greek company Latsco Marine Management Inc. is the beneficial owner and operator of the tankers HELLAS FIGHTER (IMO 9722625) and HELLAS AVATAR (IMO 9722613). The first tanker, after loading on March 7 this year at the Russian port of "Primorsk," is heading to the Brazilian port of "Suape." The second tanker was also loaded at Primorsk on March 22 and is now moving along the shores of Portugal. Both vessels are flying the Maltese flag—an EU member country—and are insured by the Swedish company The Swedish Club, which is part of the P&I club.
Furthermore, companies controlled by the well-known Greek shipowner Evangelos Marinakis are also involved in the transportation of Russian oil. He has already attracted journalistic attention due to his business’s involvement in transporting Russian oil. Since March 21, the Greek-flagged tanker AKRISIOS (IMO 9953456) has been moving from Primorsk to the Brazilian port of "Itaki." The beneficial owner of this tanker is Capital Ship Management Corp., while it is operated by Capital Maritime & Trading Corp. The ship is insured by Steamship Mutual.
Meanwhile, the tanker AGIOS GERASIMOS (IMO 9693056), owned and managed by the Greek company Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Ltd., is heading from Primorsk under the Maltese flag. The insurance for the vessel is provided by the British insurer NorthStandart P&I Association. It is expected to deliver oil to the Indian port of "Mundra" by April 30.
Another key player in this scheme is the tanker PORTOFINO (IMO 9564671), owned and operated by the Greek company Alberta Shipmanagement Ltd., which has been heading to the Turkish port of "Marmara-Ereglisi" since March 18. Over the past year, this vessel has carried out 35 STS operations and has repeatedly turned off its AIS system. Despite the Russian origin of the oil, the tanker is insured by the UK P&I Club.
All these tankers have valid insurance from P&I clubs, updated in February of this year and valid until 2026. This allows them to freely enter international ports, receive technical maintenance, and continue commercial operations, which indirectly funds Russia's budget.
By providing insurance to Russia's "shadow" fleet vessels, P&I clubs help Russia earn profits from oil and gas exports, thus indirectly supporting its ongoing military aggression against Ukraine.
Tanker shipments servicing Russian exports under EU flags or owned by companies registered in Europe will soon be stopped. The U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, K. Kellogg, acknowledged the importance of combating Russia's "shadow" fleet in an interview with Fox News. The White House is increasingly aware that the Kremlin, as usual, is playing an unfair game. Therefore, another blow to Russia's oil industry from Western countries led by the U.S. is a matter of the near future.
European companies doing business with Russia will soon face a choice: cease cooperation with Moscow or share the responsibility for effectively sponsoring Putin's war machine, which is waging an aggressive war against Ukraine.
