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Arrested tanker went adrift
The sanctioned Russian tanker 'Unity', which was under arrest in Paradip, drifted towards the shore after breaking its moorings during a violent storm on Sep 25, and was in danger of running aground because of a main engine failure and without any tugs to tow the vessel. The vessel was anchored in pos. 20° 10' N 086° 47' E. The 'Unity' was arrested in May over allegedly unpaid bunker bills. The 24 crew members, 20 of them Russian nationals, also claimed they were owed wages and have asked an Indian court to take over the vessel so they could be repatriated. Local authorities were monitoring the situation. The tanker had been hauling crude from the Far East Russian port of Kozmino for Indian Oil Corp and was detained when it arrived at Paradip in May. The move followed a claim by United Arab Emirates-based bunker supplier Tresta International over unpaid bunkers. The Unity was previously held at the Russian port of Murmansk in 2025 after the SUR highlighted wage arrears and failure to pay bonuses for crew travelling through high-risk areas. The USA in January 2025 sanctioned the tanker’s former owner, the Russia-based Argo Tanker Group, and another ship it owned, the 'Dignity' (IMO: 9572111).
Shadow fleet tanker detained with serious shortcomings
On Aug 28, 2025, the local authorities in Murmansk have detained the 'Unity', sailing under the flag of Lesotho, after the Seafarers’ Union of Russia (SUR) requested a port state control. The tanker was held due to wage arrears to the crew, a non-functioning Inmarsat satellite number, and serious problems with vessel documentation. After state inspectors boarded the vessel, they confirmed multiple violations, and refused to issue clearance to sail until they were resolved. The tanker has been sanctioned by the EU, UK, Switzerland and several other countries for transporting Russian oil. The crew members told the union that they had received their June wages only on July 27, while their July salaries remained unpaid. Some sailors who left the ship have not received their final settlements. As of Aug. 13, the tanker’s captain had calculated total wage arrears for the 20 crew members at nearly $90,000. Some crew contracts were signed with the Argo Tanker Group LLC (ООО «Арго Танкер Групп»), which was not legally listed as the ship owner, while others were with the FMTC ShipCharter LLC. Aside from this, some contracts referenced a collective agreement with the Seafarers’ Union of Russia that in fact did not exist. The sailors also reported that the vessel’s flag registration in Gambia had expired on Aug. 5, which automatically invalidated its insurance policy. The new registration documents issued under Lesotho’s flag, along with a Pyramid Marine Overseas insurance policy, listed the Petroleum United FZCO as the registry company. The crew feared that if the vessel has indeed switched flags and registries, their contracts could be invalid, and they would be unable to file P&I insurance claims in the event that the ship owner fails to honor its wage obligations. The 'Unity' has repeatedly changed names and flag states since its launch in 2009. From Sep 2024 to Feb 2025, it sailed under the Russian flag. The vessel’s operator is the Argo Tanker Group LLC, which is under U.S. sanctions. The company is registered in Moscow at Presnenskaya Embankment 10, Building 2, Office 139.
Russian shadow tanker broke down
The laden ' Unity' has broken down in the stormy Bay of Biscay off France on Jan 23, 2025. The aframax tanker had departed from Primorsk on Jan 16 with Russian oil bound for Mangalore. The ship ran into difficulties overnight off the west coast of France, losing its propulsion during extremely stormy conditions in the Atlantic. On Jan 24 the ship turned around, and on Jan 27 it dropped anchor off the French coast in pos. 49° 49' N 000° 56' W. The tanker is owned by Moscow-headquartered Argo Tanker Group, who acquired the ship in September 2024.
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