The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (GUR MO) on the War&Sanctions portal in the “Sea Vessels” section published data on 66 tankers of the shadow fleet of the Russian Federation, Iran, and Venezuela. The list also includes vessels involved in the theft of Ukrainian grain and violation of the state border.
This is stated on the website of the Ministry of Defense.
It is noted that the list includes tankers associated with the network of companies Cymare Shipmanagement Ltd (Cyprus) and Cymare Navigation FZC (UAE). According to the GUR, since 2023 they have been helping Russia receive profits from oil sales.
“Since 2023 and until now, the tanker fleet of the Cymare Shipmanagement Ltd (Cyprus) and Cymare Navigation FZC (UAE) group of companies has been unhinderedly providing Russia with petrodollars to continue the war against Ukraine, under the guise of registering companies in the member states of the European Union,” the report says.
The top manager of these companies is a British citizen, Nikolay Spichenok, who at the same time continues to work for the Russian shipping company Sovcomflot and its related structures.
Sovcomflot is under sanctions, but continues to transport Russian oil and liquefied gas, cooperating with leading Russian oil and gas companies and traders.
“Tankers from the “orbit” of Sovcomflot, in particular those involved in the transportation of oil and petroleum products from/to Venezuela, are massively changing their flags to Russian ones, effectively confirming their involvement in serving the military and economic interests of the aggressor state. Previously, such shadow fleet vessels sailed under the flags of third countries in order to avoid sanctions from Western states,” the Ministry of Defense's GUR noted.
Intelligence explains that such actions are in accordance with the provisions of the Naval Doctrine This is a comprehensive strategic document that defines the national interests, priorities and basic principles of the maritime policy of the Russian Federation. The document provides for the expansion of the civilian fleet under the Russian flag to promote “national interests” in the World Ocean, increased mobilization readiness and the possibility of involving civilian vessels and sailors in the Armed Forces during wartime.
In addition, the GUR called on captains and crews of vessels of the Russian shadow fleet to avoid cooperation with shadow operating companies.
“Unscrupulous shadow fleet operators are the first to disappear as soon as a vessel comes to the attention of law enforcement agencies — leaving the sailors alone with the legal, financial, and humanitarian consequences of the crime,” Ukrainian intelligence added.
As a reminder, on January 27, European countries issued a joint statement warning Russian shadow fleet tankers to tighten security measures in the Baltic and North Seas. The document was signed by 14 countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.