Spain escorts Russian "shadow fleet" tanker to Morocco instead of seizure

The Spanish maritime service escorted the Chariot Tide tanker, believed to be part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ and under EU and UK sanctions, to its destination at Morocco’s Tanger Med port instead of seizing it, Spain's Merchant Marine said.

The Chariot Tide, sailing under the Mozambique flag and formerly known as Marabella Sun until November, has been on EU and UK sanctions lists since November 2024, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Spain’s Merchant Marine gave no reason for not seizing the Chariot Tide, and the Defence Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

The Chariot Tide's engine broke down on January 22, leaving the vessel drifting without propulsion in international waters 33 miles south of Adra in Almeria, Spain's Merchant Marine stated, noting it was within the country's search-and-rescue zone.

The maritime rescue vessel Clara Campoamor was escorting it to Tanger Med, while the port authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Industry sources and analysts estimate that between 1,200 and 1,600 tankers currently operate as part of the so‑called shadow fleet.

They help Russia, Venezuela and Iran evade Western sanctions and move oil to buyers, including China and India, by using ageing tankers with opaque ownership and flag arrangements that fall outside standard regulatory scrutiny. 

These vessels frequently operate without reliable Western insurance and often lack the top‑tier coverage required by major oil companies and many ports, raising environmental and safety risks.

On January 26, countries bordering the Baltic and North Seas issued a letter warning about ships that manipulate or falsify identification systems, disable tracking devices, and fly multiple flags to evade detection and bypass sanctions.

By Jeyhun Aghazada