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Sanctioned shadow tanker now Russian flagged
The ' Virat', now renamed ' Prometey', arrived in Tuzla on Dec 15. The ship had undergone repairs of damages caused by Ukrainian Nagura rockers about seven nautical miles off the Turkish coast in recent weeks to become seaworthy again. The blast holes were sealed and the main engine fixed. The sanctioned ship left the Gambian false flag and was registered in Russia. Since 2023 it had frequently changed its flag as part of the shadow fleet.
Tanker under tow to Turkish coast
Towing operations of the sanctioned tanker 'Virat', which belongs to Russia's "shadow fleet" and was hit by SBU Sea Baby drones in the Black Sea, to Karadeniz Liman was underway by the tug 'Med Firat' (IMO: 1056226). The tanker, which was struck approximately 35 nautical miles offshore, sustained heavy smoke in its engine room but maintained a stable condition despite a second drone attack on the morning of Nov 29, that caused additional minor damage above the waterline. All 20 crew members remained in good condition throughout the ordeal. Report with photos: https://charter97.org/en/news/2025/11/30/664897/#google_vignette
Blasts rocked Russian shadow tankers
Blasts rocked the sanctioned tankers 'Kairos' and ''Virat' from Russia's shadow fleet in the Black Sea near the Bosphorus on Nov 28, 2025, causing fires on the vessels, and rescue operations were launched. The 'Kairos' suffered an explosion off the coast of Kefken, in Kocaeli’s Kandira district in northwestern Türkiye, and caught fire in the Black Sea while en route from Port Said to Novorossiysk. The fast rescue boats 'KEGM 9' and 'KEGM 10', the tug 'Kurtarma 12' and the emergency response vessel 'Nene Hatun' were immediately dispatched to the scene, and the 25 crew members on board were rescued by teams from the General Directorate of Coastal Safety and handed over to medical personnel at Sile Kovanagzi Pier. Throughout the night, the tug 'Kurtarma 12' and the emergency response vessel 'Nene Hatun' continued efforts to extinguish the fire. There was no fire on the open deck of the vessel, while extinguishing and cooling operations continued in enclosed sections. The General Directorate of Maritime Affairs reported the first explosion aboard the 'Kairos', and 30 minutes the 'Virat', en route from Ust-Luga, was struck about 35 nautical miles offshore, further east in the Black Sea, and rescue units and a commercial vessel were sent to the scene. Heavy smoke was detected in the engine room but the 20 personnel on board were in good condition. Both the 'Kairos' and the 'Virat' were on a list of ships subject to sanctions imposed against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The 'Virat' is listed with an unknown flag after previously reporting Gambia. Built in 2018, the ship was reported as having been sold to a Chinese company in January 2025. The United States sanctioned the vessel in January 2025 for transporting Russian oil, and the EU followed with a listing in July and the UK in September 2025. The 'Kairos' was among 72 vessels recently deleted from the Gambian ship registry for fraudulently issued certificates. “So this vessel is flagless, stateless, and any insurance and class (if it has any) has been invalidated by the fact that it’s falsely purporting to fly the flag of Gambia. The European Union sanctioned the ship in May 2025 while it was operating under the name 'Katiuska', and the UK followed, listing the vessel in July 2025. The vessel was sold in August to the Chinese company Alafia Trading. Shipping traffic through the strait continued. Report with photos: https://www.reuters.com/world/tanker-hit-by-blast-fire-north-turkeys-bosphorus-strait-agency-says-2025-11-28/
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