EURO ASIA NEWS INTERNET NEWSPAPER

The Barents Observer, a Norwegian publication, reports that more than 30 tankers that are part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” and are subject to sanctions are sailing off the country’s northern coast. One of them, the 248-meter-long Matari, launched 22 years ago, entered the Russian port of Murmansk on July 25.

Last week, the Matari crossed the Norwegian Sea and entered the Barents Sea. The vessel is heading to one of the transshipment terminals in the Kola Bay, where it will be loaded with oil produced at a Russian Arctic field. According to monitoring centers, the tanker left Mangalore (India) and is sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone. Over the past three years, it has repeatedly changed its name, flag, and shipping company. Until June 1, 2025, the vessel was called Arabela.

The tanker is considered to be of “Azerbaijani origin” as it is operated by a company registered in Azerbaijan
Matari is on the list of 104 vessels sanctioned under the 18th package of EU sanctions against Russia. This package was approved by the EU Council on July 18 and has become one of the toughest sanctions initiatives against Moscow. EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas recalled this in her statement.

In total, the EU sanctions list includes 444 vessels that are part of the so-called “shadow fleet”. These vessels are used to bypass the price cap on Russian oil set by the EU, as well as to transport military equipment and stolen Ukrainian grain.

Matari is one of many tankers transporting Russian Arctic oil. The Barents Observer monitors such shipments in the Barents Sea and has a list of more than 30 sanctioned vessels that have called at the port of Murmansk. At least ten of them are included in the latest, 18th sanctions package.

In addition to Matari, the list also includes the tanker Yanhu, which flies the flag of the Comoros Islands. It arrived in the Kola Bay almost at the same time as Matari. Over the past three years, this vessel has changed its name four times, its flag four times, and its owner three times. This is evidenced by data from the international shipping information system Equasis.

In addition to Matari, the list also includes the tanker Yanhu, which flies the flag of the Comoros Islands.
The growing activity of the “shadow fleet” off the northern coast of Norway is causing serious concern among environmentalists and maritime safety experts. Frode Pleym, head of Greenpeace Norway, told the publication:

“The question is not whether an accident will occur off the Norwegian coast involving a tanker from the shadow fleet, but when exactly it will happen.”

We also received additional information about the Matari tanker, which is heading to the oil terminal on the Kola Peninsula. According to the new data, the tanker is considered to be a “vessel of Azerbaijani origin” as it is managed by a company registered in Azerbaijan. Earlier, in May 2025, the tanker was sanctioned by the UK, and in June by Canada.

The owner of the vessel is Oasis Bloom Corp., registered in the Seychelles in March 2024. The same company acts as the ship manager. In turn, it transferred the vessel to the management of the Azerbaijani company Anchor Elite Shipmanagement, registered in April 2024 – just a few days after the creation of Oasis Bloom Corp.

The registration address of Anchor Elite Shipmanagement: Azerbaijan ,Sumgait, house 20/33, apartment 9.

Aqua Fleet Management was registered in August 2024 with an authorized capital of 100 manat. The owner of the company is Kakhaber Iremadze. Official address: Azerbaijan,Sumgait, Sulkh Street, Building 5, Apartment 25

This company manages not only Matari (formerly Arabela), but also two more tankers, Arabesca and Hattı. The owner and commercial operator of Arabesca is Pearl Cascade Corp., a Seychelles-registered company. The tanker is completing another voyage to the Indian port of Mangalore and is now heading towards the Suez Canal in Egypt. The owner of the Hattı tanker is HCC Shipmanagement Inc., a Moldovan company that is also under UK sanctions. This tanker left the coast of Vietnam two weeks ago and is currently moving in Egyptian waters.

Let us recall that Aqua Fleet Management, which was included in the 18th EU sanctions package, was also registered in Azerbaijan. It manages two tankers, Sauri and Ederra, as well as the dry cargo ship Temirro. The tankers managed by Aqua Fleet Management were leased by companies registered in Moldova.

Aqua Fleet Management was registered in August 2024 with an authorized capital of 100 manat. The owner of the company is Kakhaber Iremadze. Official address: Azerbaijan,Sumgait, Sulkh Street, Building 5, Apartment 25.

As can be seen from the presented facts, companies operating under the jurisdictions of various countries, from the Seychelles and Moldova to Azerbaijan, are simultaneously involved in the transportation and sale of Russian oil subject to sanctions.

Who is behind this international network?-SOCAR,Ministry of State Security or Ministry of Economy?