Bloomberg: Germany Stopped A "shadow Fleet" Tanker That Was Sailing To Russia

It "never existed" in maritime databases.

An oil tanker, listed in maritime databases as never having existed, has turned around while heading for German waters and is now sailing toward Russia's Arctic coast, Bloomberg reports (translated by Unian).

The publication notes that the tanker, calling itself Aframax under the name Arcusat, was sailing through a narrow strait between Denmark and Sweden and signaling a destination in the Gulf of Finland.

But, it adds, earlier this week it suddenly turned around and is now sailing north, toward the Arctic.

The article says that the Equasis database, an open source widely used by the shipping industry, lists it as "never having existed." At the same time, another database maintained by the International Maritime Organization reports that no vessel associated with the IMO Arcusat number has been found.

The publication said the abrupt turnaround and rerouting of the tanker came amid increased pressure on the shadow fleet of older tankers around the world. The US has seized vessels linked to oil exports from Venezuela, one of which even sought refuge under the Russian flag.

The publication adds that European countries have long promised to tighten control over old ships sailing in their waters.

German media reported that the country's authorities forced the vessel to turn around. Federal police, meanwhile, said they could not comment on the investigation because it was still ongoing. This would be the first time a European country has deployed a "shadow fleet" vessel from the Baltic Sea.

The publication predicts that if this strategy intensifies, it could pose a threat to Moscow's ability to export oil from the region.

The Arcusat vessel was reportedly delivered last year from a Chinese shipyard. Databases differ as to the flag under which it sails: some indicate Tanzania, others Cameroon.

It is known that the tanker was registered under the temporary name Linhai Huajie LH202313 as "on order" in March 2025 in a global database. It was to be delivered by the Linhai Huajie shipyard in eastern China to its owner, Sempre Shipping Ltd.

Once last April, however, the vessel completely disappeared from the registers and there was no mention of its delivery. Linhai Huajie's website states that its platform can build vessels weighing 50,000 tons, while Aframax vessels weigh at least 80,000 tons.

The Equasis website lists Sempre Shipping as the owner and manager of Arcusat. The company's registered address in Seychelles is the same as some of the organizations under US sanctions.

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