Explosions among tankers of the Russian shadow fleet are increasing

Four ships already affected

Mysterious explosions meet Putin’s shadow fleet

A tanker that is attributed to the Russian shadow fleet was damaged in an explosion. The incident is joined in a chain.

A few days ago there was an explosion on the “Vilamoura” oil tanker, which, according to information from the Ukrainian secret service, belongs to the Russian shadow fleet. No people were injured, but the ship, which drives under the flag of the Marshal Islands, is so badly damaged that it was unable to maneuver and was dragged to Greece by a tractor.

The ship had previously been in international waters in front of Libya. In April it was seen on the Russian VAT-Luga terminal, in May at the Caspian Pipeline consortium near Novorossijk-both ports from which Russian oil is exported.

According to information from the Ukrainian research website “Kyiv Insider”, the explosion is not an isolated case. The tanker, which has loaded almost 140,000 tons of crude oil, is already the fourth ship of the shadow fleet on which there was mysterious explosions.

In February, the “Seajuwel”, which drives under Maltese flag and presumably transported Russian oil, was damaged in an underwater explosion near Savona in Italy. The Italian public prosecutor is investigating suspicion of terrorism. The “Sacharum” is said to have suffered serious damage to the fuselage when it was traveling in the Mediterranean. According to media reports, there was also an explosion on the “Grace Ferrum” tanker.

According to “Kyiv Insider”, Vanguard Tech, which specializes in maritime security, assumes that so many explosions of alleged shadow fleet tankers can no longer be “accidental”. The company advises the company to undergo its tankers who return from Russian terminals to an underwater inspection.

The British company for cyber defense and risk education in maritime traffic, Dryad Global, wrote on his website: “The investigations of the alleged mint attacks on tankers are all related to the recent attempts in Russian ports, which indicates a targeted threat to ships in Russian oil trade, which was probably triggered by the western sanctions”. The company advises shipping gears to use underwater sensors and prepare the crew for possible hazards.

According to research by the Ukrainian magazine “Kyiv Insider”, there should also be concerns in Russia. Russian port authorities have therefore ordered that divers, the ships that dock at important oil ports, should examine closely. Apparently it is feared that Saboteurs will attach explosives to the tankers. So far, nobody has known each other.

The Greek authorities now want to examine the “Vilamoura”. As the Reuters news agency reports, an adhesive mine could have been the cause of the explosion.