An oil tanker sanctioned by the EU for transporting Russian oil was escorted to Tangier-Med in Morocco by a Spanish rescue vessel, Spain's merchant fleet announced on Tuesday, UNN reports with reference to Reuters.
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Chariot Tide, which sailed under the Mozambique flag and was known as Marabella Sun until November, has been on the EU sanctions list since November 2024 for assisting Russia in oil exports, "while practicing irregular and high-risk shipping practices," according to the European Union. It has also been sanctioned by the UK government.
The merchant fleet did not say why Chariot Tide was not seized, and the Spanish Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.
The engine of the Chariot Tide broke down on January 22, and the vessel drifted engineless in international waters 33 miles south of Adra in the Almeria region, the merchant fleet said in an email, adding that it had entered Spain's search and rescue zone.
According to the merchant fleet, it was escorted to Tangier-Med by the maritime rescue vessel Clara Campoamor. The Tangier-Med port authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Industry sources and analysts estimate that between 1,200 and 1,600 tankers are currently operating as a so-called "shadow fleet."
They help Russia and other countries such as Venezuela and Iran evade Western sanctions and sell their oil to countries such as China and India. The vessels are often old, their ownership is opaque, and they sail without the higher-level insurance coverage that meets international standards for major oil companies and many ports.
The Baltic and North Sea countries on Monday published a letter warning of the dangers of vessels manipulating or falsifying identification systems, turning off tracking devices, and using more than one flag to avoid detection and circumvent sanctions.
Morocco, a US ally, maintains good relations with Russia, and in October, the two countries signed a fishing agreement that allows Russian vessels to fish in Morocco's Atlantic waters.