A Tanker Belonging To Russia's Shadow Fleet Sent Out A Distress Signal Off The Coast Of Ireland
2- 25.10.2026, 14:42
The vessel was sailing from the port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad Region.
The tanker Myra, which has been linked to the export of Russian oil in circumvention of sanctions, sent a distress signal in the North Atlantic west of Ireland, according to the maritime monitoring project SeaNews. The vessel was sailing from the port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad Region. The distress signal was received on October 24 via the Inmarsat-C satellite system. According to the project, in the area where the Myra was located, wave heights reached 8.8 meters, and wind gusts were approximately 130 km/h. Despite the inclement weather, the tanker continued on its course at a speed of about 9 knots (17 km/h). At the time the distress signal was sent, it was approximately 348 km from the coast.
The UK Coast Guard contacted nearby vessels to ask if they could provide assistance. Later, a Royal Air Force aircraft established contact with the Myra, which had 21 people on board. The crew reported that the distress signal had been activated as they were leaving an area of heavy swells. After assessing the situation, the vessel continued on its way.
According to the Starboard maritime monitoring system, the tanker traveled from the Baltic Sea through the North Sea, rounded the northern tip of Great Britain, and entered the Atlantic Ocean, bypassing the English Channel. Other tankers in the Russian shadow fleet also choose this route, likely to avoid inspections by European countries, according to The Insider.
The tanker was built in 2006. It is 228 meters long and has a deadweight of about 75,000 metric tons. The Myra is subject to sanctions imposed by the U.S., the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Switzerland. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the vessel is linked to Fractal Marine DMCC, a company registered in the UAE that is one of the leading operators of Russia’s shadow fleet. It has repeatedly called at ports in Turkey, Brazil, Senegal, Estonia, and Denmark.
The GUR also determined that the Myra is part of the shipping network of Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of the slain advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader. It uses tankers and front companies to transport Russian and Iranian oil, including to China.
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