Sanctioned Tanker Bound for US Passes Through UK Waters
Russia has used the lifting of U.S. sanctions on the purchase of diesel to resume exports both to the United States but also other countries, in what President Vladimir Putin will regard as a diplomatic victory and a weakening of solidarity in support for Ukraine. Not only will the Russians earn revenue from the diesel sales to fund their war effort, but they will also drive a wedge between the United States on the one hand, and the UK and the EU on the other, because both the UK and EU have declared that their sanctions will remain in place.
The identity and destinations of ships involved in the resumption of Russian diesel exports are not absolutely clear, depending as it does on announcements from the Russian government and changing AIS signals being broadcast from the ships potentially involved.
But the divisions that the resumption of exports has created are well-illustrated by the course of Sierra Leone-flagged oil products tanker Leruo (IMO 9385831), which remains on both UK and EU sanctions lists. This vessel, loaded with about 40,000 tons of diesel oil at Primorsk on October 16, is indicating on AIS that it is heading for the Atlantic coast “for orders,” but is expected to dock in New York on about November 7. Its exact course through waters around the Shetland Islands is not yet clear, but if not through territorial waters, then the ship is likely to have passed through the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone – and has done so without being intercepted, despite its flag of convenience and UK/EU sanctioned status. There may have been an intent to intercept the ship, but simply a lack of any available Royal Navy frigates to undertake the operation.
Track of the sanctioned diesel tanker Leruo as she approaches Shetland Island waters on October 24 (VesselFinder)
Two other product tankers, but both unsanctioned, have also recently loaded at Primorsk. The Maltese-flagged tanker Agioi Fanendes (IMO 9798375) was on October 26 passing through the Skagerrak, also with about 40,000 tons of diesel on board, declaring it is operating “For Orders.” It had earlier indicated it was bound for New York, due to arrive November 7, but now with its actual destination undeclared. It could also be heading for the Atlantic seaboard, although industry sources suggest that Morocco may also be resuming imports of Russian diesel.
The Palau-flagged product tanker Dolunay (IMO 9327463) completed loading on October 16, and is signaling its arrival at Alanya in Turkey on November 1. The Turkish government has indicated that it is about to resume imports of Russian diesel, on the back of the Trump deal, and has already begun to reduce production of diesel from its own domestic refineries so as to exploit the price differential on cheaper Russian imports.
Russian exploitation of the Trump-Putin deal to pry open the sanctions regime has been clearly indicated by the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who has said that Russian exports could reach 3.5 million tons per ?month (875,000 bpd) by the end of the year, well above the 1.8 million tons of diesel covered by the initial Trump-Putin deal.
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Top photo of Leruo in 2024 by Ruud Coster (Courtesy of Vessel Finder)
