Russia’s Oil Rerouting Scheme Exposed: Indian Linked Tankers Used Covert STS Transfers
A tanker-to-tanker transfer off Port Said has exposed an elaborate scheme linking Indian companies to Russia‘s oil rerouting efforts. The move raises fresh questions about maritime oversight.
The War&Sanctions project published information on the intensified gray schemes for processing petroleum products in the wake of strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russia‘s oil-refining infrastructure. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (GUR MO), one such scheme was implemented through Indian Nayara Energy, where 49.13% of the shares belong to Russian state company Rosneft.
Indian Companies Linked to Russia’s Oil Rerouting Efforts
On June 20, the tanker AGNI departed from Nayara Energy’s oil depot with almost 67,500 tons of petroleum products on board. The intended destination was an area west of the Suez Canal near the Egyptian port of Port Said, where another tanker – GARNET – was expected.
In the open sea, the crews of both vessels conducted a Ship-to-Ship (STS) transfer to mask the transfer of cargo from one vessel to the other. The fuel transfer from AGNI to GARNET was carried out with the AIS (Automatic Identification System) turned off.
Gray Schemes and Maritime Oversight
After the operation’s completion, GARNET provided false data that the vessel was allegedly proceeding empty. The vessel has now already passed the Strait of Gibraltar, and possible destinations include the Russian port Vitino on the White Sea or one of the ports of the Baltic Sea.
It is known that the tanker AGNI is affiliated with Indian company Gatik Ship Management, which previously was the largest transporter of fossil fuels for Rosneft. Under sanctions pressure, the company re-registered its fleet under related structures in India and the UAE, instituting a practice of constantly changing the formal owners of ships.
The other tanker involved in this scheme, GARNET, belongs to Seychelles-based Shantal Navigation Corp. The vessel is directly linked to the sanctioned Russian public joint-stock company Sovcomflot, which is the largest state-owned shipping company in Russia and provides maritime transportation of Russian hydrocarbons.
Such operations indicate a continual adaptation of the sanctions-evading scheme through changes in ship ownership and the use of offshore structures, underscoring the need for heightened attention to monitoring international fleets and cargo origins in maritime supply chains.
Original Article: Russia rerouted sanctioned oil via Indian linked tankers using covert STS transfers — Mezha