On August 29, Albania did not allow the Russian shadow fleet tanker Hanuman into its port in Durres.
This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense.
In January of this year, GUR MOU added this tanker to the War&Sanctions portal database as belonging to the Russian shadow fleet. Since the beginning of 2025 alone, the tanker has exported at least 452 000 tons of Russian fuel from the port in Novorossiysk to Turkey, Senegal, the UAE, and the port near Augusta, Italy.
The logistics of these flights are handled by the company OOO “Altoprae Marine”, which belongs to Putinʼs close associate and sanctioned Gennady Timchenko.
What is known about the Russian shadow fleet?
In early December 2022, the G7 members, as well as Australia and the EU, imposed price caps on Russian oil, setting a maximum price of $60 per barrel. From February 5, 2023, these countries imposed price caps on Russian petroleum products: $100 for diesel and $45 for various lubricants.
To circumvent oil sanctions, Russia has begun building a shadow fleet. This is a fleet of old tankers that turn off their beacons so that they cannot be seen by surveillance systems. These tankers are mostly operated by the Russian state-owned company Suchkomflot.
According to The Guardian’s September 2023 estimates, Russia’s shadow fleet consists of approximately 600 vessels (they transport mainly crude oil, petroleum products and LNG), which provide 70% of Russia’s oil exports and approximately 10% of the world’s “wet cargo” fleet. With its help, the Russian Federation transports almost 1.7 million barrels of oil per day, which brings large profits to the Kremlin.
In May of this year, four more LNG tankers joined the Russian shadow fleet. In June, another tanker joined the LNG fleet, bringing the total to at least 21 vessels.
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