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Russian zombie tanker spotted under false name
The Russian shadow tanker, 'Tavian 'has been spotted sailing through the English Channel under a false name, in what appears to be another attempt to evade sanctions, on Jan 8,. 2026. The vessel was sanctioned in Aug 2024 as "Tia," later renamed "Tavian," and is now operating as Arcusat, reflagged to Cameroon. It had departed from the STAR Rafineri near Izmir on Dec 30, 2025, and is believed to be heading toward Russia. The destination given was Gulf of Finland with an ETA as of Jan 13. The ship was broadcasting the IMO number of a vessel that has been scrapped or deregistered, attempting to disguise itself as a different unsanctioned vessel. It has changed names and flags and claims a different identity to avoid detection. The British governmentwas tracking the 'Tavian', as deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet was a priority for the government. The "Tavian" had passed the island of Fehmarn on Dec 10th, escorted by two Russian destroyers. On board were 100,000 tons of crude oil, loaded in the Russian port of Primorsk. The ship was bullt in 1998 under the name "Nordmark" (IMO: 9147447). In Aug 2024, the tanker, then operating as the "Tia," was sanctioned. In Oct 2024, the "Tia" used its original IMO number for the last time during an AIS transmission. After disappearing in the Persian Gulf, the ship reappeared in March 2025 as the "Tavian" with the new IMO-No.1095337. This number identified it as a newbuild from the Chinese shipyard Linhai Huajie Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. The "Tavian" is said to be the 13th name of the original "Nordmark."
Zombie tanker with new IMO number passed Fehmarn Belt
The "Tavion", which had got a new IMO number in March 2025 in China under unclear circumstances along with about a dozen other tankers, which were therefore referred to as zombie tankers, was located in the Fehmarn Belt on Dec 10, carrying approximately 100,000 tons of Russian crude oil en route from Primorsk. The ship had disappeared from the registers in September in the Persian Gulf as the "Tia". The tanker was built in 1998 at the Halla shipyard in Samho under hull number 1043 for the shipping company Nord, owned by theGerman shipowner Klaus Oldendorff, which operated the ship as the "Nordmark" until 2013. After disappearing in the Persian Gulf, the ship reappeared in March 2025 as a newbuild with a new IMO number, under hull number LH202313, built by the Linhai Huajie Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. shipyard in China. The "Tavion", however, is indeed the "Tia, and "Tavion" is now the ship's 13th name. The "Tavion" attracted the attention of authorities during its voyage in the Baltic Sea, not least because of its home port of Kribi in Cameroon. The West African nation only established an online register in December 2024 for the flexible and unbureaucratic registration of all types of seagoing vessels. As a result, Cameroon is now among the flags favoured by shadow fleet tankers and increasingly flagged as illicit vessels by European port state inspections. The "Tavion," however, has so far evaded port state inspections by remaining at sea. While the German Federal Police and an aircraft of the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies were present, the captain of the "Tavion" properly contacted the Vessel Traffic Service via radio, providing details of a ship's insurance policy. However, these details could not be verified. Should the tanker ever come under the jurisdiction of BG Verkehr or another EU authority for inspection, port state inspectors would first attempt to gather evidence of the fraudulent reissuance of an IMO number. Should the suspicion be substantiated, this would constitute a clear safety deficiency that could lead to the ship's impoundment. The only way to prove this would likely be through an examination of the MAN B&W main engine, whose components, from the crankshaft to the cylinders, all have their own serial numbers. The evidence would also have international repercussions, as therelevant security authorities would be informed, as the misuse of a newly issued IMO number for an existing vessel is likely a criminal offense. The IMO number of the "Tavion" was fabricated in China. In May, the ship left the port of Zoushan and headed for the Baltic Sea. The ship circumvented EU waters. The "Tavion" passed through the Baltic Sea without stopping. If a ship is considered stateless due to flying a false flag, the marines on board are permitted to ascertain its nationality. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/russland-setzt-auf-der-ostsee-auch-zombie-tanker-in-der-schattenflotte-ein-EIC3GMDFDRC3JHZUBGUKD3UVIY.html
Six tankers on sanction list
The United Stateshave imposed sanctions against six more tankers trying to break the embargo on oil transportation to and from Venezuela that the country has imposed, four with connections to Ukraine, one with Russia and one Venezuelan. Three of the ships - the 'Balita', 'Domani' and 'Freedom' - are operated by Fides Ship Management in Ukraine. A fourth, the 'Legacy', was operated by Fides Ship Management for a period in 2020 before being taken over by Panthea Marine and is now operated by the Russian company Berylicious. The other two were the 'Maxim Gorki', which is under the management of Transocean Shipping in Moscow, but owned by Venezuelan Govt INEA, and the 'Sierra' operated by Rustanker.
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