Albania Refused To Allow A Tanker From Russia's "shadow Fleet" To Enter Its Port
- 4.09.2026, 15:46
The ship carried away hundreds of thousands of metric tons of Russian fuel.
On August 29 of this year, Albania barred an oil tanker belonging to the “shadow fleet” of Russia, the aggressor nation, from entering the port of Durres. On January 26, 2026, the Main Intelligence Directorate added this vessel to the War&Sanctions database as part of the shadow fleet.
This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine.
Since early 2025, this tanker has exported at least 452,000 metric tons of Russian fuel.
It is noted that the vessel HANUMAN has been under close surveillance by Ukrainian military intelligence for quite some time. This tanker was added to the lists of representatives of Russia’s shadow fleet on January 26 of this year.
The Main Intelligence Directorate emphasized that such vessels, using high-risk and deceptive navigation methods, help Russia circumvent international sanctions and channel revenues from oil sales to finance the war.
“Moreover, such vessels pose a danger to international shipping and the environment of entire regions, as they disable their trackers, perform dangerous maneuvers, and in most cases do not comply with modern environmental standards,” the GUR noted.
They emphasized that Albania’s decision to bar the HANUMAN from entering its port is important evidence of international solidarity regarding sanctions.
Ukrainian intelligence noted that since the beginning of 2025, the tanker has exported at least 452,000 metric tons of Russian fuel.
The vessel’s routes ran from the port of Novorossiysk to Turkey, Senegal, the UAE, as well as to a transshipment area near the Italian city of Augusta.
Logistical support for these voyages was provided by the Russian company “Altoprae Marine” from Novorossiysk. This company was founded and is headed by one of the top managers in the inner circle of sanctioned Russian oligarch Gennady Timchenko — a close associate of dictator Vladimir Putin— according to the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).
The company is known for systematically servicing tankers in the shadow fleet, in particular the EVENTIN, which is subject to EU sanctions, Switzerland, the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Ukraine, and CORDELIA MOON, which is subject to sanctions by the U.K., Canada, the EU, Switzerland, Australia, and Ukraine. Both vessels have been linked to incidents that threatened environmental safety.
“Altoprae Marine” of Novorossiysk is involved in the operations of vessels owned by “Rosewood Shipping” Oksana Marchenko—the wife of a traitor to the state, Putin’s godfather, and Viktor Medvedchuk, who is suspected of plundering Ukrainian resources.