Violations of the embargo on Russian crude oil imports into the EU since it came into effect and in June-July 2023
The Monitoring Group of BlackSeaNews
and the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews reports on the results of its own monitoring of violations of the embargo on seaborne imports of Russian crude oil into the EU since 5 December 2022, when the embargo came into effect, and in June-July 2023 (See Tables 1 and 2).
* * *
From 5 December 2022, when the embargo on Russian crude oil imports came into effect, to 31 July 2023, the Monitoring Group recorded 56 violations of the embargo. 14 of them were direct visits of tankers to the ports of EU countries. The remaining 42 cases included delivery of crude oil to transshipment points off the coasts of EU states.
During that time, about 6.9 million tons of crude oil were delivered to EU ports and transshipment points off the coasts of EU countries.
Out of 56 voyages of crude oil tankers, 30 (53.6%) were made by tankers owned by shipowners from Greece, 2 – by those from Denmark, 1 – Malta, 1 – Latvia, and 1 – Cyprus. That is, 35 voyages (65%, or almost two-thirds of the total number) were made by tankers owned by shipowners from EU countries.
9 voyages were made by tankers owned by Turkish shipowners, 3 – by those owned by shipowners from the UAE (in fact, these are Russian companies re-registered in the UAE), 3 voyages – by vessels belonging to Indian shipowners, 3 – by tankers owned by shipowners from Liberia, 2 – from the Marshall Islands, and 1 – by a tanker belonging to a Moldovan shipowner.
Of the 14 voyages made directly to the ports of the countries that had imposed the embargo, 4 were made to the ports of Italy, 4 – to the Netherlands (including 1 to the Caribbean Netherlands), 3 – to the ports of Spain, 2 – to the ports of Greece, and 1 – to the port of Slovenia.
Table 1. Tankers transporting Russian crude oil from the ports on the Black and Azov Seas to the EU in January-July 2023, by country of a shipowner's registration
Country of a shipowner's |
After 05.12 2022 |
January |
February |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
Greece [GR] |
5 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
Malta [MT] |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
Latvia |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
Denmark [DK] |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cyprus [CY] |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Turkey [TR] |
2 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
Marshall Islands [MH] |
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
United Arab Emirates [AE] - Russia [RU] |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
||
Liberia [LR] |
|
1 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
India [IN] |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
Moldova [MD] |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
||
In total |
5 |
12 |
7 |
4 |
6 |
11 |
9 |
2 |
Including direct visits to ports |
2 |
5 |
3 |
- |
1 |
2 |
1 |
- |
|
Spain-1 Italy-1 |
Slovenia-1, |
Italy-2, |
– |
Caribbean |
Spain-1 |
Italy-1 |
– |
As we reported earlier, on 24 July 2023, the EU decision that prohibits tankers transporting Russian oil and petroleum products from entering the ports of EU countries came into effect. This decision has definitely affected the number of violations of the embargo when it comes to crude oil tankers.
In June 2023, we recorded 1 direct voyage of a tanker carrying Russian crude oil to the ports of EU countries. In July 2023, we did not record any such voyages.
The cartographic records of the direct voyages of tankers carrying Russian crude oil to the ports of EU countries in violation of the embargo in June 2023
1. The ELANDRA FALCON crude oil tanker’s voyage from the port of NOVOROSSIYSK, Russia, to the port of MILAZZO, Italy, Sicily.
IMO: 9792486, DWT 157553, Flag Marshall Is, Port of departure RU NVS NOVOROSSIYSK, Actual time of departure ATD: 2023-06-21 03:53, Port of destination IT MLZ MILAZZO, Actual time of arrival ATA: 2023-06-28 08:45. Ship manager/Commercial manager LSC SIA Sporta iela 11, LV-1013 Riga, Latvia. Registered owner SEA 101 LEASING CO LTD Care of LSC SIA, Sporta iela 11, LV-1013 Riga, Latvia
The ELANDRA FALCON tanker’s route from Novorossiysk to Milazzo, Italy
The departure of the tanker ELANDRA FALCON from Novorossiysk – ATD: 2023-06-21, 03:53
The arrival of the tanker ELANDRA FALCON in Milazzo, Italy, ATA: 2023-06-28, 08:45
* * *
Table 2. Tankers that transported Russia’s crude oil in violation of the embargo from Russian ports on the Black Sea to EU countries in June and July 2023
Data on shipowners and operators — from www.equasis.org
The first column of the table shows the date of a vessel's passage
from the Sea of Marmara through the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea
# |
Name |
IMO |
DWT |
Flag |
Port of departure |
Actual time |
Port of destination |
Actual time of arrival |
Shipowner |
Direct voyages from Russian Black Sea ports to the ports of the countries that have imposed the embargo, June 2023 | |||||||||
24/06 |
ELANDRA FALCON |
9792486 |
157553 |
Marshall Is |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-06-21 03:53 |
IT MLZ |
ATA: 2023-06-28 08:45 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager LSC SIA Sporta iela 11, LV-1013 Riga, Latvia. |
Voyages from Russian Black Sea ports to transshipment points off the coasts of the countries that have imposed the embargo, June 2023 |
|||||||||
03/06 |
EUROSTRENGTH |
9543524 |
104594 |
Liberia |
RU TAM |
ATD: 2023-05-27 00:47 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-06-04 15:27 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager EUROTANKERS INC 5th Floor, 99, Akti Miaouli, 185 38 Piraeus, Greece. |
05/06 |
HS LEGEND |
9381744 |
112511 |
Liberia |
RU TUAPSE ANCH |
ATD: 2023-06-01 14:44 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATD: 2023-06-08 09:01 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager HS LEGEND LTD 80, Broad Street, Monrovia, Liberia. |
06/06 |
FAIR SEAS |
9405057 |
115406 |
Marshall Is |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-05-30 11:38 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-06-07 14:11 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager ACTIVE DENIZCILIK VE GEMI 2 Caddesi 5, Dudullu OSB Mah, Umraniye, 34776 Istanbul, Turkey. |
13/06 |
NORDIC THUNDER |
9797228 |
157374 |
Marshall Is |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-06-10 13:19 (UTC +3) |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-06-14 11:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager ACTIVE DENIZCILIK VE GEMI 2 Caddesi 5, Dudullu OSB Mah, Umraniye, 34776 Istanbul, Turkey. |
15/06 |
OTTOMAN NOBILITY |
9290359 |
152622 |
Turkey |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-06-12 16:20 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
АTA: 2023-06-16 11:05 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager GUNGEN DENIZCILIK VE TICARET Halici Sokak 9, Gaziosmanpasa Mah, Cankaya, 06700 Ankara, Turkey. |
17/06 |
HS ARGE |
9299745 |
106007 |
Liberia |
RU TUA TUAPSE |
ATD: 2023-06-09 12:16 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-06-18 17:58 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager XFINITY MARITIME SERVICES PVT Office 1005, Niharika Mirage Kharghar, Sector 10, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, 410210, India. |
25/06 |
CHRYSALIS |
9437684 |
115867 |
Liberia |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-06-21 18:22 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-06-26 16:38 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager STEALTH MARITIME CORP SA 331, Kifisias Avenue, Kifisia, 145 61 Athens, Greece. |
29/06 |
HS LEGEND |
9381744 |
112511 |
Liberia |
RU TUA |
ATD: 2023-06-24 12:08 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-06-30 21:57 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager HS LEGEND LTD 80, Broad Street, Monrovia, Liberia. |
Voyages from Russian Black Sea ports to transshipment points off the coasts of the countries that have imposed the embargo, July 2023 |
|||||||||
08/07 |
STEALTH HARALAMBOS |
9386536 |
113021 |
Marshall Is |
RU TAM |
ATD: 2023-07-01 23:00 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-07-09 08:55 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager SIGNAL PROJECTS LTD 110, Vouliagmenis Avenue, Glyfada, 166 74 Athens, Greece. |
09/07 |
BUTTERFLY A |
9249130 |
109295 |
Liberia |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-06-30 20:33 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATD: 2023-07-11 12:39 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager AQUILA SHIPOWNER SA Mazaya Plaza, Zuhal Caddesi 46, Cevizli Mah, Maltepe, 34846 Istanbul, Turkey. |
* * *
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