Russia-linked tankers attacked near Türkiye long been on Ukraine's radar
File photo: The tankers attacked off the coast of Turkey had been transporting Russian oil for years to circumvent sanctions (Getty Images)
The three tankers attacked off the coast of Türkiye had been operating on behalf of Russia for years, and Ukraine was aware of this long before the incident, according to Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the President of Ukraine's Special Representative for Sanctions Policy.
"Press reports have revealed incidents involving several tankers in the Black Sea. These vessels have long been the focus of our attention due to their systematic violations of the sanctions regime," Vlasiuk notes.
According to him, these are typical examples of the Russian shadow fleet.
ALTURA tanker
Is subject to sanctions by Ukraine, the EU, the UK, and Switzerland. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, the vessel has made over 20 calls at Russian ports, regularly transporting millions of barrels of Russian oil (including from Rosneft) in circumvention of G7 restrictions and the price cap.
Between January 2024 and July 2025, it transported approximately 6 million barrels of Russian oil.
"Furthermore, according to available information, this vessel is linked to an Iranian tanker network controlled by the inner circle of Iran’s top leadership," Vlasiuk emphasizes.
VELORA vessel
The Sierra Leone-flagged vessel, which shares a commercial manager with the ALTURA, is subject to a similar set of sanctions (Ukraine, EU, UK, Switzerland, Canada) for its involvement in the shadow fleet.
JAMES II tanker
The vessel currently has no confirmed flag (it flew the Palau flag until May) and is subject to sanctions by Ukraine, the UK, and Australia.
It has been involved in the export of Russian oil since June 2024, has repeatedly turned off its radars near the Kerch Strait in the Sea of Azov, and has also carried out direct transshipment of oil at sea to other sanctioned tankers.
"Such practices, disabling trackers, ship-to-ship transfers, and the use of opaque ownership structures are direct evidence that these vessels are being used solely to circumvent international sanctions against Russian oil," the presidential representative emphasizes.
According to Vlasiuk, Ukraine continues to monitor and gather evidence to increase pressure on the management and owners of such tankers.
Background
On May 28, three tankers linked to Russia's shadow fleet were attacked in the Black Sea off the coast of Türkiye.
According to preliminary data, the vessels were struck by drones.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.
