Russia’s shadow fleet tanker loses control and drifts in Mediterranean - Media
Illustrative photo: the tanker is under sanctions and has already changed its name twice (Getty Images)
The sanctioned oil tanker Progress from Russia’s shadow fleet has lost control near the coast of Algeria and is drifting in the Mediterranean Sea, Bloomberg reports.
The LR2-class tanker was carrying about 730,000 barrels of Russia’s Urals crude and was heading east along the North African coast toward the Suez Canal. On Wednesday, January 21, Progress suddenly changed course to the north and left the main shipping lanes.
On the night of Thursday, January 22, the vessel’s navigational status changed to "Not under command," indicating an inability to maneuver or avoid collisions due to extraordinary circumstances. Its speed dropped to about one knot (approximately 1.9 km/h).
As of today, January 23, the tanker continues to drift eastward. According to experts, its departure from shipping routes, the change in navigational status, and the drop in speed point to a possible technical malfunction.
Sanctioned shadow fleet tanker
The international Equasis database lists the vessel’s manager as Legacy Marine LLC, a company registered in St. Petersburg.
Progress is under sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Kingdom. The 19-year-old tanker has changed its name twice since being added to sanctions lists. Recently, the vessel switched to the Russian flag and was entered into the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
On January 22, the French Navy detained a Russian tanker sailing from the aggressor state. The vessel was part of the so-called shadow fleet and was under sanctions.
On January 21, the US armed forces detained the sanctioned oil tanker Sagitta in the Caribbean Sea, which is part of Russia’s shadow fleet. In total, seven such detentions have already been reported.
