Three Of The Five Tankers Sunk By The U.S. Are Linked To The Russian Shadow Fleet
- 10.09.2026, 13:21
The ships were used to circumvent sanctions.
Three of the five tankers that were struck by U.S. forces on September 8 have direct ties to the Russian shadow fleet.
This was reported by “Ukrinform”.
Vladislav Vlasyuk, the Ukrainian President’s Representative on Sanctions Policy, provided this information to the publication. According to him, all three vessels are subject to sanctions by Ukraine and the U.S., and one is also subject to sanctions by the EU, the U.K., Canada, and Switzerland.
“Of the five tankers that were struck by the U.S. military on September 8, three have a direct connection to the Russian shadow fleet—namely, the Kaviz, Charminar, and Riesco. These tankers were transporting Russian oil, calling at Russian ports, and were being used to operate under sanctions,” Vlasyuk said.
According to the commissioner, the Kaviz called at Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk, transported Russian oil, and had a history of turning off its AIS tracking system. The vessel was linked to Fractal Marine DMCC—a company described as one of the key operators of the Russian shadow fleet in the early years following the imposition of oil sanctions.
The vessel Charminar, meanwhile, called at Ust-Luga, Primorsk, Vysotsk, and St. Petersburg. After the United Kingdom imposed sanctions against Fractal Marine, the vessels associated with it began to be transferred to other managers, but operations involving Russian oil continued. At the same time, the Charminar is linked to a shipping empire controlled by Iranian oil magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, which handles both Iranian and Russian oil.
According to Vlasyuk, the tanker Riesco transported both Russian and Iranian oil, in particular through transshipment with other tankers subject to sanctions.
As a reminder, the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes on military vessels, leading to a sharp escalation of the conflict, which has now been ongoing for six months. As a result of the military escalation, global oil prices have risen to record highs. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the war with Iran will end and gas prices will drop sharply “immediately after” the midterm elections.