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Shadow tankers switched to Russian flag and escorted by Navy in convoys
Russia has started attempting to make it more difficult to access its tankers by employing military protection and a convoy system. To provide security, Russia has deployed the frigates 'Admiral Grigorovich' and 'Neustrashimiy' for this purpose. The 'Neustrashimiy' had only departed the naval base of Baltiysk (Kaliningrad) on July 2, 2026, before joining the 'Admiral Grigorovich'. On July 6, three Russian crude oil tankers, namely the 'Provider', 'Nasledie' and 'Transformer', gathered in the North Sea, northwest of the island of Sylt, carrying a combined total of nearly 300,000 tons of oil from the Baltic Sea. Their reported destination was Asia. All three tankers had their flags changed to Russia from Malawi or the Comoros just a few weeks ago. The 'Transformer' was previously known as the 'Grinch', which was seized by France in January and released only after a seven-figure fine was paid. The 22-year-old tanker had previously been transporting Russian crude oil under the Comoros flag. It now displayed the Russian flag and listed Sochi as its home port on its stern. In taking these measures, France cited Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which authorises naval boarding operations when there were indications that a vessel is flying a false flag. Great Britain has justified its actions on similar reasons. Switching to the Russian flag was intended to enhance protection by the Russian Navy and make it more difficult for EU states to intervene. This move was also clearly demonstrating that actions taken against the 'shadow fleet' were having an effect. These measures were driving up costs for Russia while reducing revenue from oil sales. Operating under the Russian flag also entails greater logistical demands regarding servicing and maintenance. Furthermore, Russian-flagged vessels are legitimate targets for Ukrainian attacks, as has been demonstrated in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Consequently, the Russian Navy must further step up its efforts to protect these tankers. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/russland-setzt-auf-neue-flagge-und-marine-zum-schutz-der-schattenflotte-W3BCPB2G4VCNXGBRIYUXXR66NU.html?utm_term=Autofeed&utm
Tanker boarded by pirates
The "Almi Spirit" was boarded by six pirates on Oct 15, at 7 a.m. Kuala Lumpur. The vessel was moored in the Singapore Strait at Kukup Anchorage since Oct 14. The intruders fled when the ship's captain sounded the alarm as they entered the its main engine room. All 26 crew on board - four Ukrainians including the captain in the 50s and 22 other Filipinos - were safe and unharmed. The ship is now anchored four nautical miles off Tanjung Pelepas. The MMEA received a distress call at 6.10 a.m. The MMEA vessel "Rawa" intercepted the "Almi Spirit" at 8.35 a.m. The "Satria" and the agency speed boat "Kilat" were also sent to the location. Initial findings showed the six robbers may have approached the "Almi Spiri"t on a speed boat, and climbed up deck with rope that had hooks, based on markings on the deck. A 12-member team from MMEA was conducting the investigations. They were screening all crew members, while the captain was searching the entire ship which was carrying 180.18 million litres of marine fuel oil worth US$23 million. The cargo was safe. Report with photo: http://www.nst.com.my/news/2015/10/intruders-flee-when-captain-sounds-ship%E2%80%99s-alarm
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