Spain escorts shadow fleet vessel sanctioned for carrying Russian oil, Reuters reports
Editor's note: The story has been updated with additional details.
An EU-sanctioned shadow fleet vessel was being escorted to Morocco by a Spanish rescue ship, Reuters reported on Jan. 27, citing Spain's maritime authorities.
The Chariot Tide, formerly known as Marabella Sun, was flying a Mozambique flag when its engine broke down on Jan. 22 in international waters within Spain's search-and-rescue zone.
The ship has been under EU sanctions since December 2024 for transporting Russian oil and "using irregular high-risk shipping practices."
The news comes shortly after 14 European countries — excluding Spain — issued a warning to Russia's shadow fleet in the Baltic and North Sea and pledged to step up maritime security.
The shadow fleet is a group of aging, poorly insured tankers that Moscow uses to evade international sanctions. The EU and the U.K. have pledged to increase pressure on the fleet, with hundreds of vessels appearing on sanctions lists.
Western governments have linked the fleet to Russian-backed hybrid operations, while experts say it poses environmental risks due to an increased likelihood of oil spills.
The Charlot Tide was being escorted to the Moroccan port of Tanger Med in the Gibraltar Strait, some 45 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Tangiers, by the Spanish maritime rescue vessel Clara Campoamor, Merchant Marine told Reuters.
The Spanish maritime authority did not clarify why the vessel was not seized.
Marine Traffic tracking data shows the vessel off the Moroccan coast heading for Tangiers.
Only last week, French forces boarded a shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying Paris would "not tolerate any violation."
Several Russia-linked shadow tankers were also detained in recent weeks by the U.S. as part of Washington's crackdown on the Venezuelan oil trade.
Tanker Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1, was detained by U.S. forces while flying a Russian flag on Jan. 7. Two Russian crew members detained have been released and are on their way to their homeland, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed on Jan. 28.
