A Russian tanker is stuck in the Dardanelles Strait. He belongs to the Shadow Fleet

According to Bloomberg, the Hera 1 tanker was in poor technical condition and its engine had failed. As a result, the ship blocked traffic in the strategically important Dardanelles StraitWhich led to a temporary halt to the movement of ships heading south.

The whole incident occurred in the morning hours of May 23, at the entrance to the strait, which is located northwest of Turkey. Five hours later, traffic returned and the tanker was anchored.

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The Hera 1 was en route to the Suez Canal, carrying approximately 730,000 barrels of Russian crude oil, which was loaded at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Shipping information indicates that the final destination is India.

Bloomberg indicates this The insurance company and the actual owner of the tanker are not registered in the IMO database. The agency states that millions of barrels of Russian oil are transported around the world, often through narrow sea straits, without any information about who is insuring this transportation.

Carriers must have compulsory insurance purchased from approved international insurance companies. The “Shadow Fleet,” which experts estimate at about 600 units, or about 10 percent. The global number of large tankers transport Russian oil despite sanctions. Even industry experts cannot determine who the operators and owners of this fleet are – CNN says.

After the Russian attack on Ukraine, Europe was moving away from Russian energy, and Asia was increasing its purchases. According to the International Energy Agency, China increased its imports of Russian oil by 19%. Compared to 2021, India recorded an eight-fold increase.

The gray ships were sold after the invasion, mainly by their owners in Europe, to companies in the Middle East and Asia that had not previously been active in the tanker market. The dark ships, in turn, are experienced in actions implemented by Iran and Venezuela to avoid Western sanctions, and have recently turned to transporting Russian oil.