Distress Signal Sent by Russian Tanker in North Atlantic
The oil products tanker Myra (IMO 9336490), which is under sanctions from the U.S., EU, UK, and three other jurisdictions, sent a distress signal in the North Atlantic west of Ireland on Oct. 24.
According to maritime monitors, the tanker departed the Russian port of Ust-Luga and sailed around the northern coast of the United Kingdom, bypassing the English Channel. The UK coast guard is coordinating assistance to the vessel, which was at 56°18′ north latitude and 15°25′ west longitude when it sent the distress signal.
Stormy Weather Conditions
Maritime monitoring project SeaNews reported that the distress signal was transmitted through the Inmarsat-C satellite system at 12:38 p.m. UTC, or 3:38 p.m. Moscow time. The tanker continued moving at about 9 knots, roughly 17 kilometers per hour, despite extreme weather conditions. Waves in the area reached 8.8 meters, while wind gusts reached 70 knots (about 130 kilometers per hour). The vessel was approximately 188 nautical miles from the coast.
Route and Weather Conditions
The Insider reviewed Myra’s route and weather conditions in the area using the Starboard Maritime Intelligence ship tracking system. According to the platform, the tanker traveled from the Baltic Sea through the North Sea, rounded the northern tip of the United Kingdom and entered the Atlantic Ocean without passing through the English Channel. It is unclear whether the route was chosen in an effort to avoid scrutiny by European countries.
Many tankers belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” use the same route (1, 2). Starboard’s weather map showed the ship near a broad area of strong winds in the North Atlantic. A pronounced cyclonic circulation was visible farther west. According to the platform, at 4:20 p.m. on Oct. 24, wind speed in the tanker’s immediate area was 45.6 kilometers per hour, blowing from the southwest. That corresponds to Force 6 on the Beaufort scale, classified as a strong breeze.
Link to Iranian Leadership
According to Ukrainian military intelligence, the tanker is linked to the shipping network of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, a former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and an adviser to the country’s supreme leader.
Original Article: Russian “shadow fleet” tanker linked to Iranian leadership sends distress signal in the North Atlantic — Theins