SIRIUS

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Russian shadow tanker off Norwegian west coast

The 'Sirius', actually transiting off the Norwegian coast en route from Murmansk to Port Said, poses a serious environmental threat, warns the Norwegian Shipowners' Association. Ther tanker from Putin's shadow fleet may be in poor condition and uninsured. At least five other ships from Putin's shadow fleet have passed North Cape in the past month. The ship has changed its name several times and has been registered in several countries since it was built in 2009. The cargo reported to the Vardø Maritime Traffic Center is diesel. The ship is owned by the Russian state-owned shipping company Sovcomflot, which is under sanctions from the West. This is stated in the EU's sanctions list from December. The ship is now registered in Gabon, but was previously called "SCF Surgut" and registered in Barbados. Five ships from the shadow fleet were in the Barents Sea east of Finnmark in the last weeks of 2024, among them the gas tankers "North Way", "North Mountain", "North Sky" and "North Air". All are registered in Bermuda, and all are under sanctions from the US. In addition, the Sovcomflot-owned "Christophe de Margerie" was east of Novaya Zemlya. The latest AIS transmissions of these ships are two to eight weeks old. A total of 79 ships are now on the EU blacklist. Over 60 of Sovcomflot's ships are blacklisted by the USA.

Ship added to EU sanction list

The European Union has adopted its newest sanctions package on Dec 16, 2024, at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, adding 52 new vessels, among them the 'Sirius', to the sanctions list that have been deemed by the EU to be supporting Russia’s war machine. The vessels that have been sanctioned are primarily involved in circumventing the oil price cap mechanism implemented by the West, in arms deliveries, and in the transportation of stolen grain. This latest package has brought the total number of vessels sanctioned by the EU to 79. The majority of the vessels are involved in the transport of Russian oil and in transporting arms for the Russian military. The sanctions package also targets a total of 54 individuals and 30 entities that are deemed to be bolstering Russia’s war effort. Among them, there are also entities and individuals in China and North Korea who have been deemed to be supplying Russia with dual-use materials to support Russia’s military efforts. Two senior North Korean officials and seven Chinese individuals and companies have been targeted in the latest sanctions. The purpose of the sanctions has been defined to increase the operational costs for Russia by banning them from ports in the EU and hindering them from receiving maritime services.