Sanctioned Russian Tanker Detained at Suez Canal for Unpaid Fees
The Russian Union of Seafarers (SUR) is reporting that a sanctioned Russian-flag tanker has been seized at the Suez Canal for unpaid transit fees. According to the union, it is the latest in a series of financial problems with the crude oil tanker.
The crude oil tanker Dignity (159,426 dwt) was built in 2004 and has been owned and managed by the Russian company Argo Tanker Group since 2023. The last recorded inspection for the tanker, which is 274 meters (899 feet) in length, was in May 2023, according to the databases, corresponding to the time it was sold to the Russians.
The vessel has been cited by the United States for its involvement in the Russian oil trade and violations of the G7 price cap on crude oil transactions. Tracking data showed the vessel had made port calls in Murmansk, Russia. That led to the tanker being included in a U.S. sanctions package released in January 2025, and since then, the EU listed the vessel in July, and the UK sanctioned the tanker in September.
The ship appears to have been detained at the Suez Canal approximately two months ago. The current AIS position shows the ship holding in the Suez anchorage.
SUR union reports that the 22 Russian crewmembers aboard the ship filed a formal complaint on October 15, demanding payment of back wages for at least three months from their employer. They report that as of October 28, no money had been transferred to the crew. The crew reported told the union, “The employer ignores our demands.”
The union says it is not the first time it has intervened on behalf of the crew working aboard this tanker. In August, it says, the crew was due approximately $130,000 in back wages that the union and the Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping were able to secure for the crew.
This time, they are concerned that, in addition to the back pay, the owners are not properly supplying the vessel. The SUR says the vessel is running low on fuel and lubricants, and the union fears the lack of supplies is threatening the power on the ship.
The union reports it is hopeful that the shipowner will fulfill its obligations in the near future.
Even without the complication of sanctions, the concern over vessel and crew abandonment continues to rise. The International Transport Workers’ Federation has warned several times this year that abandonment rates a rising. They said in July that the rate was on track to break the record set in 2024 while calling for increased regulations, enforcement, and action by flag states to protect seafarers.