Violations of the embargo on crude oil imports from Russia to the EU in May 2023: Even direct voyages to Spain and the Netherlands were recorded
The Monitoring Group of BlackSeaNews
and the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews reports on the results of its own monitoring of violations of the embargo on the seaborne imports of Russian crude oil to the EU in May 2023 (See Tables 1 and 2).
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As we reported earlier, the January-March 2023 downward trend in the number of violations of the EU and G7 embargo on the imports of Russian crude oil from Black Sea ports was reversed in April 2023 when the number of violations began to increase.
In May 2023, this process intensified, and the exports of Russian crude oil from Black Sea ports amounted to 4,972,058 tons, representing a month-on-month increase of 193,935 tons, or 4.06%. However, even more important is the fact that this growth occurred due to exports to EU countries.
Moreover, even the voyages of tankers carrying Russian oil from Black Sea ports directly to the ports of EU countries resumed.
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In March 2023, there was no direct delivery of Russian crude oil to the ports of EU countries. All the sanctioned oil was transported to the transshipment point in the Laconian Gulf off the coast of Greece. There were only 4 embargo-violating tankers, and the amount of oil delivered was 476,449 tons.
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In April 2023, a direct voyage was made: the Greek tanker GREEN AURA (IMO 9808168), which passed through the Dardanelles Strait on 23 April, sailing under the flag of Liberia, delivered 112,684 tons of crude oil to the roadstead in the port of SINT EUSTATIUS – Caribbean Netherlands, Bonaire Islands, St. Eustatius and Saba [BQ]. These islands have a status of public bodies (special municipalities) in the Netherlands, although they are not formally part of the EU. 5 tankers arrived at the transshipment point off the coast of Greece. The total volume of oil shipped in violation of the embargo was 801,594 tons.
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In May 2023, there were 2 direct voyages. 1) The Greek tanker EURONIKE (IMO 9299678), sailing under the flag of Malta, left Novorossiysk, passed the Dardanelles Strait on 19 May 2023, indicated ES BIO (BILBAO) in Spain as the port of destination, and actually arrived at this port of an EU country carrying 160,000 tons of Russian crude oil on 28 May – ATA: 2023-05-28, 14:13.
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2) The Greek tanker SEARUNNER (IMO 9765029), sailing under the flag of Malta, left the port of Taman, passed the Dardanelles Strait on 30 May 2023, indicated NL RTM (ROTTERDAM) in the Netherlands as the port of destination, and actually delivered over 100,000 tons of Russian crude oil there. -
Finally, in May 2023, not 4 or 5, but as many as 11 tankers carrying Russian crude oil arrived at the transshipment point off the coast of Greece. The total volume of oil imported in violation of the embargo amounted to 1,554,020 tons – almost twice as much as in April.
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Whereas in March 2023, among the embargo-violating tankers, only 1 vessel belonged to a company registered in an EU country (Greece), in April, 4 Greek tankers violated the embargo, and in May 2023 – as many as 7 tankers (6 Greek shipowners and a Maltese one). Data on the European shipowner companies whose tankers violated the embargo are highlighted in blue in Tables 1 and 2.
The cartographic records of the direct voyages of tankers carrying Russian crude oil to the ports of EU countries in violation of the embargo in May 2023
1. The voyage of the tanker EURONIKE (IMO 9299678, DWT 164565 tons, flag Malta, ship owner STARDUST SHIPTRADE INC Care of Tsakos Shipping & Trading SA, Megaron 'Macedonia', 367, Andrea Syngrou Avenue, Palaio Faliro, 175 64 Athens, Greece) from Novorossiysk, Russia, to Bilbao, Spain.
The departure of the tanker EURONIKE from Novorossiysk – ATD: 2023-05-16, 12:49
The route of the tanker EURONIKE from Novorossiysk to Bilbao, Spain, and its arrival – ATA: 2023-05-28, 14:13
2. The voyage of the tanker SEARUNNER (IMO 9765029, DWT 114129 tons, flag Malta, ship owner HIGHWAY NAVIGATION CO Care of Thenamaris Ships Management Inc, 16, Athinas Avenue & Vorreou Street, Vouliagmeni, 166 71 Athens, Greece) from the Russian port of Taman to Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The route of the tanker SEARUNNER from the Russian port of Taman to Rotterdam, the Netherlands – ATD: 2023-05-26, 02:44
The arrival of the tanker SEARUNNER from the port of Taman, Russia, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands – ATA: 2023-06-10, 05:58
The unloading site of 11 tankers carrying Russian crude oil at the transshipment point off the coast of Greece in the Laconian Gulf in May 2023
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Table 1. Tankers that transported Russian crude oil to EU countries in January-May 2023, by country of shipowner registration
| Country of shipowner registration | January 2023 | February 2023 | March 2023 | April 2023 | May 2023 |
|
Greece [GR] |
6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Malta [MT] | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Turkey [TR] | 2 | - | - | 1 | 2 |
| Denmark [DK] | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Cyprus [CY] | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Marshall Islands [MH] | 1 | - | 1 | - | - |
| DUBAI United Arab Emirates [AE] - Russia [RU] | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| Liberia [LR] | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| India [IN] | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Moldova [MD] | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| In total | 12 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 11 |
Табл. 2. Tankers that transported Russia’s Crude Oil in violation of the embargo from Russian ports on the Black Sea to EU countries in May 2023
Data on shipowners and operators — from www.equasis.org
The first column of the table shows the date of a vessel's passage from the Sea of Marmara through the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea
|
# |
Name |
IMO |
DWT |
Flag |
Port of departure |
Actual Time of Depart |
Port of destination |
Actual Time of Arrival |
Shipowner |
|
01/05 |
EUROLEADER |
9290385 |
159062 |
Liberia |
RU TAM |
ATD: 2023-04-09 20:19 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
АТА: 2023-05-03 05:11 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager EUROTANKERS INC 5th Floor, 99, Akti Miaouli, 185 38 Piraeus, Greece |
|
01/05 |
HS ARGE |
9299745 |
106007 |
Liberia |
RU TUA |
ATD: 2023-04-26 21:05 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-05-04 06:30 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager XFINITY MARITIME SERVICES PVT Office 1005, Niharika Mirage Kharghar, Sector 10, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, 410210, India. |
|
02/05 |
OTTOMAN TENACITY |
9590682 |
149999 |
Turkey |
RU TAM |
ATD: 2023-04-21 05:39 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-05-04 06:52 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager GUNGEN DENIZCILIK VE TICARET Halici Sokak 9, Gaziosmanpasa Mah, Cankaya, 06700 Ankara, Turkey. |
|
05/05 |
SOUSTA |
9384992 |
106045 |
Marshall Is |
RU TAM |
ATD: 2023-04-26 10:09 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
АТА: 2023-05-06 17:11 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager SPRING MARINE MANAGEMENT SA 1st Floor, 6, Agias Kiriakis, Palaio Faliro, 175 64 Athens, Greece. |
|
10/05 |
KSENA |
9232888 |
106074 |
Palau |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-05-06 13:00 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-05-13 21:38 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager OST SHIPMANAGEMENT SRL Apartment 36, Hincesti Highway 70/4, MD-2028 Chisinau, Moldova. |
|
13/05 |
BESIKTAS BOSPHORUS |
9290373 |
163750 |
Marshall Is |
RU TAM |
ATD: 2023-05-08 00:08 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
АTA: 2023-05-14 11:02 |
Registered owner STRAITS TANKER CO LTD-MAI Care of Besiktas Likid Tasimacilik Denizcilik Ticaret AS, Kat 15, Blok A, Piyale Pasa Bulvari Memorial Centre, Okmeydani, Sisli, 34385 Istanbul, Turkey. |
|
17/05 |
SEA HYMN |
9412036 |
116337 |
Marshall Is |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-05-09 06:49 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-05-18 10:40 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager STEALTH MARITIME CORP SA 331, Kifisias Avenue, Kifisia, 145 61 Athens, Greece. |
|
19/05 |
EURONIKE |
9299678 |
164565 |
Malta |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-05-16 12:49 |
ES BIO |
ATA: 2023-05-28 14:13 |
Registered owner STARDUST SHIPTRADE INC Care of Tsakos Shipping & Trading SA, Megaron 'Macedonia', 367, Andrea Syngrou Avenue, Palaio Faliro, 175 64 Athens, Greece. |
|
20/05 |
OCEAN WAVE I |
9356763 |
50353 |
Panama |
RU TUA |
ATD: 2023-05-14 00:00 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
АTA: 2023-05-21 22:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager SEA TRADE MARINE SA 108, Vasileos Pavlou Street, Voula, 166 73 Athens, Greece. |
|
25/05 |
EMERALD I |
9330604 |
104611 |
Liberia |
RU TUA |
ATD: 2023-05-17 08:03 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
АTA: 2023-05-26 20:59 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager UNIVERSAL TANKER MGMT UTM-MAI 147/1, Triq Santa Lucija, Valletta, VLT 1185, Malta. |
|
26/05 |
HS ARGE |
9299745 |
106007 |
Liberia |
RU TUA |
ATD: 2023-05-22 06:09 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-05-27 18:10 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager XFINITY MARITIME SERVICES PVT Office 1005, Niharika Mirage Kharghar, Sector 10, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, 410210, India. |
|
27/05 |
MAKALU |
9314105 |
107081 |
Palau |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-05-24 21:40 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-05-28 10:57 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager DOUBLE HARMONY MARINE CORP Suite 10, 3rd Floor, La Ciotat, Mont Fleuri, Mahe Island Seychelles. |
|
30/05 |
SEARUNNER |
9765029 |
114129 |
Malta |
RU TAM |
ATD: 2023-05-26 02:44 |
NL RTM |
АТА: 2023-06-10 05:58 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager THENAMARIS SHIPS MANAGEMENT 16, Athinas Avenue & Vorreou Street, Vouliagmeni, 166 71 Athens, Greece. |
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This article has been prepared with the support of the European Union in Ukraine. The content of the article is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the position of the EU
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