Traces of the so-called “shadow fleet,” which has been transporting sanctioned Iranian — and now Russian — oil, lead to the Yasamal district of Baku.
It is in this district that the company managing tankers from the “shadow fleet” is registered — a fleet directly involved in the shipment of oil from Russia and Iran.
According to the BlackSeaNews portal, Akara Navigation LLC, registered at 78B Hasan bey Zardabi Avenue, Apt. 111, owns at least one tanker that is part of this “shadow fleet” and holds the status of Safety Management (ISM) operator for several others.
One of these vessels, REUS (IMO 9253076) — currently sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone — was recently spotted near the Suez Canal in Egypt. The ship’s final destination remains unclear, though it is believed to be heading toward one of Morocco’s ports.
REUS is registered under S&F MARINE LTD, a Seychelles-based company that also serves as its commercial operator.
According to the War&Sanctions database — a platform created by Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) — the REUS tanker is involved in exporting oil from Russian ports to third countries and regularly turns off its transponder while operating in open waters.
Akara Navigation LLC also serves as the ISM manager for two other “shadow fleet” tankers involved in transporting sanctioned Russian oil — MITZEL (IMO 9233741) and UTAKI (IMO 9262924)
https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-mpAkQRfUbkjQ2pVVykEkAZ/
The international environmental organization Greenpeace lists REUS among the “shadow fleet” tankers that transport Russian oil globally via the Baltic Sea and the Kadet Channel into the Bay of Mecklenburg, posing a serious environmental threat.
On April 11, 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the captain of REUS, and on May 9, 2025, the vessel itself came under UK sanctions as part of broader restrictions targeting Russia’s shadow fleet. The justification cited was the tanker’s involvement in activities destabilizing Ukraine, undermining its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence — as well as transporting Russian oil to third countries for profit benefiting the Russian government.
In May 2025, the European Union imposed sanctions on REUS, followed by Switzerland and Canada in June 2025.
The Baku-based Akara Navigation LLC, registered at 78B Hasan bey Zardabi Avenue, Apt. 111, remains outside formal sanctions for now, though the tankers linked to it are already restricted.
The REUS tanker is also connected to Sao Viet Petrol Transportation Co Ltd, a Vietnamese company that previously owned and operated the vessel.
https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-MztcG984H62twtx45j2PKV/
https://www.opensanctions.org/entities/NK-YiR5sPozSEUWY9MR82L2cb/
According to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) — a U.S.-based advocacy group that uses satellite tracking to monitor vessels linked to Iran — the fleet operated by Sao Viet Petrol Transportation Co Ltd was involved in transporting sanctioned Iranian oil. This included tankers such as PANDA (IMO 9284582), OCEAN RIVER (IMO 9284594), and IVY (IMO 9337133).
Until February 2022, the PANDA and OCEAN RIVER tankers were used to ship Iranian oil before being redeployed to transport Russian crude.
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