Investigation: Baltic countries involved in fueling the Russian shadow fleet.

According to inkorr.com: Journalistic investigation by the Lithuanian media company LRT revealed that companies from the Baltic countries are fueling tankers of the Russian shadow fleet, which transport oil, circumventing international sanctions.

According to the investigation, a group of companies called Fast Bunkering is involved in the operations of fueling tankers transporting Russian oil. The fueling has been repeatedly carried out by bunkering tankers Rina and Zircone, which are controlled by firms from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, linked to this group of companies.

It turned out that between June 2024 and March 2025, these tankers conducted 286 oil transfer operations, fueling 177 vessels. At least 159 of them entered Russian ports shortly before or after fueling.

Fueling tankers in European countries

Based on information from the financial analytics company S&P Global, at least 3100 fueling operations of the Russian shadow fleet tankers were conducted near the shores of Malta, Greece, Gibraltar, the Netherlands, and other European countries in the year leading up to April 2024.

The research highlighted that companies from the Baltic countries are actively involved in fueling the Russian fleet tankers transporting oil, avoiding sanctions. This practice raises questions about the compliance with the sanctions regime and could have negative consequences for the companies participating in these operations.

This investigation underscores the need for vigilant monitoring of international sanctions compliance in conditions where companies from different countries may be involved in activities that contradict these norms. It is important for the responsible authorities to take action to prevent such practices and ensure effective control over oil transportation.