A ghost fleet help Russia to export its oil under sanctions: hundreds of tankers directed above all to Asia but which cross along the Mediterranean routes. The European Union is now trying to tighten the rules in the hope of containing traffic.
Moscow, after the invasion of Ukraine, wasted no time in finding solutions to the measures decided by the allies. AND relied on a network of companies, based in Dubai and other “paradises”, related to Indian companies and with banks in China. There are many estimates on the units involved, from 100 to six times as many, it is difficult to establish how many they really are because masking schemes have been adopted. A “company” that until 2021 had just two ships purchased over 40, immediately reconverted to this support activity. Not rarely crude oil is transhipped from an offshore tanker in international waters: maritime intelligence reported two points in particular, the area in front of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta (North Africa) and one in the Kalamata sector, in Greece. Areas that are added to other “woods” of the Mediterranean, i.e sectors where cargo or tankers try to hide, turn off the Ais transponder signaling their location, awaiting orders. And then they start again. “Oily” trails that lead to Tunisia, South Korea, in warm seas. An ancient phenomenon, with infinite ramifications, today adapted to the strategic-economic needs of the Kremlin which has invested considerable sums to finance the mission.
The EU — he points out Bloomberg – And intending to prohibit docking in the port to “vessels” suspected of being part of the network and wants to prevent someone from buying oil above the limit of 60 dollars a barrel. The problem, however, is given by the global dimensions of the challenge: much of the product is directed to China and India, with new agreements concluded by the two countries with Moscow. Highly profitable business, destined to last. Russia imitates what Venezuela and Iran have done, embargoed countries that have been developing floating warehouses for a long time. “There are two categories,” explained alla Cnn analyst Martin Wright. “The prima: gray ships represented by units sold by western companies to Asian buyers and never previously involved in this type of operation. There second: the black ships, veterans, already employed by Iranians and Venezuelans».
Along with the diplomatic implications are security concerns, founded and at the same time emphasized to underline the need for an answer. There was May Day an explosion aboard the Pablo, an oil tanker from China and observed with interest because it is suspected of having participated in transfers on behalf of Tehran. Three sailors died in the episode that took place in southern Malaysia. Someone has hypothesized an act of sabotage but at the moment we are thinking of an accident related to the age of the ship, not exactly recent. Indeed numerous units are on the edge of their careers, some should not even be at sea as they are considered to be at risk and not infrequently would not have been subject to checks to verify their conditions. They are considered “time bombs”.