Media: Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Is Regularly Refueled From Latvian Tanker Near Island Of Gotland

Details revealed.

Journalists analyzed 56 refueling operations from the Zircone over the past two months.

“Shadow” vessels that transport sanctioned Russian oil are regularly refueled from a tanker anchored near the Swedish island of Gotland and owned by a Latvian company, SVT reports.

Investigators found that near the island of Gotland, near the border of Sweden, the Zircone oil tanker has been standing for more than one month. It has a Cypriot registration. They come to the tanker to refuel.

Journalists analyzed 56 refueling operations from this tanker that occurred over the past two months. In 52 cases, it was about ships coming from or to Russia. In most cases, these are ships of the so-called "shadow fleet", which go without insurance.

According to journalists, the Swedish authorities have long paid attention to the tanker. Border guards are watching it closely.

In 2023, the Coast Guard initiated a pre-trial investigation because the company did not receive permission from the Swedish Transport Agency. It was subsequently closed and Fastbunkering was granted permission.

The Latvian company Fastbunkering manages the activities of the Zircone tanker. Alexey Volkov is its CEO. The crew on board are allegedly Russians. Answering the request for comment, he said that the ship was near Gotland and this was allegedly customer interest, and regarding the safety of refueling at sea, he noted that the ship has all the necessary licenses. The team is trained to respond to potential emergencies.