Russian ‘Zombie Tanker’ Sails Up Norwegian Coastline After Being Blocked by German Police Germany has taken the unprecedented step of barring a notorious “zombie tanker” from its Baltic waters after uncovering forged registration and serious safety concerns. The aging shadow-fleet vesselTavianhas since sailed north past Norway toward the Arctic, highlighting the growing risks and cat-and-mouse dynamics of Russia’s sanctions-evasion oil trade.
Sweden, Finland Urge EU to Tighten Screws on Russian Arctic Shipping With Insurance, Port Bans Sweden and Finland are pushing the EU to toughen sanctions on Russian Arctic shipping, calling for bans on insurance and port repairs for vessels carrying oil, gas and coal. The proposal targets overlooked maritime services seen as vital to keeping Russia’s Arctic energy exports afloat.
Russia’s Arctic Shipping Route Turns Into “Dark Fleet” Corridor Used by 100 Sanctioned Vessels One third of Arctic shipping traffic along the Northern Sea Route involves sanctioned vessels of Russia’s shadow fleet, a new report warns. The figures include 38 sanctioned oil tankers, often poorly maintained and insured and frequently without ice-classification. Russian officials have also stopped publishing data about activity on the route, further reducing available information and increasing risk.
Norway to Inspect Sanctioned Tankers in Efforts To Curb Russian Shadow Fleet Norway has announced to begin inspecting foreign-flagged tankers passing through its waters. The measures follow similar policies by Norway’s European neighbors in an effort to curb Russian shadow fleet activity and ensure that vessels carry appropriate levels of insurance coverage.
‘Shadow Fleet’ LNG Carrier Travels Up Norwegian Coast After Failed Attempt to Deliver Sanctioned Cargo Six weeks after a sanctioned load of liquefied natural gas traveled down the Norwegian coastline, the same cargo returns to the Arctic after a failed attempt to transit the Suez Canal. Again traveling on an unflagged and uninsured LNG tanker with consequences for marine and environmental safety, experts say.
Novatek Denies Involvement With Arctic ‘Shadow Fleet’, Official Records Suggest Otherwise Russia's largest natural gas producers Novatek, issued a forceful statement that it is not involved in the establishment of the LNG shadow fleet. However, sanctions documents and a company report showing office addresses and ownership structures tie the company to the operation.
Record-size Container Ship Sets Course for Arctic via Norwegian Coastline A massive container ship the length of three football fields traveled up the Norwegian coastline en route to China over the weekend. It is the latest sign of increasing Arctic traffic passing through the Norwegian and Barents Seas, including sanctioned and possibly underinsured “shadow fleet” vessels.
Safety Takes a Backseat as Russia’s LNG ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operates in Arctic Without Permits As Russia continues to expand its liquefied natural gas shadow fleet to bypass sanctions, maritime safety in the Arctic is increasingly falling by the wayside. Several aging LNG vessels traveled through the Arctic without applying for or receiving Northern Sea Route permits, likely in an effort to obscure their illegitimate activities.
