Russian oil tanker accused of dark fleet tactics in Cuba shipment

according to free movement, The ship, called the Sea Horse, was located on Tuesday on the East Coast of the United States and its citation was “roaming.”

The move comes as the United States squeezes fuel supplies to Cuba, disrupts deliveries and targets third-party countries that supply the oil, in the wake of new sanctions and the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

It’s January 29th President Donald Trump They also signed an executive order declaring a national emergency with respect to Cuba and allowing tariffs to be imposed on imports from countries that sell or supply oil there.

Windward reported that Russian oil tanker initially docks in Havana Its destination was on February 7, and it was “flying the Hong Kong flag” before quietly changing course. Windward said the tanker is expected to arrive in Cuba in early March.

The Gabon-flagged crude oil tanker NS Concord at the Port of Matanzas in Matanzas, Cuba, on Saturday, March 30, 2024. (Jander Zamora/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The ship changed its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal to show that it was arriving at “Caribbean Sea” Within two weeks – a vague designation that the company said is often used to hide a ship’s final port of call.

The destination was later diverted back to Gibraltar to take orders, even after the tanker had already transited the strait, a move Windward described as inconsistent with standard trade routing.

Windward’s analysis also indicates that the ship loaded its cargo through a ship-to-ship transfer (STS) conducted offshore near Cyprus.

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A tanker sailing under the Cuban flag arrives at the port of Havana on February 9. (Yamil Lag/AFP via Getty Images)

During the loading process, the tanker’s AIS signal was temporarily turned off – a “tactic”. Deceptive naval operations “Designed to avoid regulatory scrutiny,” Windward said.

Wind direction data also show that the ship’s draft increased on February 8, several days after leaving the area in use Floating storage and transshipment From Russian medium distillate shipments coming from Black Sea ports.

The tanker had been loitering in that area for about two weeks before leaving, Windward said.

“Ship-to-ship transfers outside territorial waters, where port state control is limited, have become a common practice in the oil trade to circumvent sanctions and regulatory scrutiny,” Windward noted.

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, right, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in 2024. (Gabe Ora/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The company added that AIS tampering, outward transfers, and vague destination reporting are now standard features of shadow fleet activity that supports Russian oil exports despite any US sanctions.

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Cuba also faces a problem The energy crisis has worsened In recent weeks after oil shipments from Venezuela, its main supplier, were halted following US action in early January.

Mexico, another major supplier, also suspended oil shipments, it said Associated Press.

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