🚨🚨🚨 Sanctioned Russian Ro-Ro 🇷🇺 ASCALON (IMO 9198226) is about to exit the English Channel, heading west with no destination declared. It departed St Petersburg on August 7 after a period of maintenance.

🚨🇷🇺⚓️💥🇺🇦 Two Russian missile-armed frigates were damaged in Novorossiysk during the overnight Ukrainian strike of August 11-12. Ukraine says four Russian warships were hit in total: ADMIRAL MAKAROV, ADMIRAL ESSEN, a BUYAN-M and VASILY BYKOV.

🚨🇷🇺🚩🚢🛡️ A telling adaptation aboard Russia’s shadow fleet. The sanctioned Suezmax 🇸🇱 CARUZO (IMO 9137648) was spotted in Istanbul with extensive netting around its superstructure and additional protection around the aft section.

🚨🇷🇺🌊❌ 1/5 Something historic is happening in the Med: Russia no longer appears to maintain a permanent naval presence there. For the first time since 2013, no Russian warship has recently been identified in the Mediterranean. This is probably more than a temporary absence.

🚨⚓️🇷🇺🛰️🛡️ Russia is now putting anti-drone nets over its nuclear submarines in the Pacific. Satellite imagery from 4 August shows more than six submarines protected at Rybachiy, Kamchatka, compared with just two in May.

🔹 7 January: seized by US forces in the North Atlantic 🔹 12 June: Captain Avtandil Kalandadze pleads guilty to failing to heave to 🔹 7 August: sentenced to 10 months in prison, followed by deportation

🚨🚨🚨 Remember the shadow fleet tanker BELLA 1 (IMO 9230880)? On 21 December 2025, the tanker refused 🇺🇸 US Coast Guard orders to stop and fled across the Atlantic. During the pursuit, it changed its name to MARINERA and claimed to be sailing under the 🇷🇺 Russian flag, but it didn’t save it.

The tanker was carrying 🇷🇺 Russian crude. ⚠️ This is the environmental price of Russia's shadow fleet: sanctioned tankers, opaque operations, and ecosystems left to deal with the consequences.

🚨🚨🚨 OMAN CONFIRMS IT: 390 KM². 🗣️🇴🇲 Oman's Environment Authority says oil pollution from the sanctioned CAROLINE BEZENGI (IMO: 9224439) has now been detected across approximately 390 square kilometres, based on its latest analysis, including satellite imagery.

ADMIRAL KASATONOV was reportedly photographed yesterday in the English Channel area, close to AKADEMIK PASHIN’s transit.

Meanwhile, fleet oiler 🇷🇺 AKADEMIK PASHIN reappeared on AIS on August 8 and completed its transit through the English Channel yesterday, while frigate 🇷🇺 ADMIRAL KASATONOV remains unaccounted for.

🚨🚨🚨 Interesting Russian naval movements in the North Atlantic. The hydrographic ship 🇷🇺 ROMUALD MUKLEVICH was reported northwest of Ireland this morning, heading northeast. Its position had remained unknown for roughly a month, during which it may have operated as far south as the 🇵🇹 Azores.

A court approved its transfer to Ukraine on 4 June. On 4 August, Sweden's Supreme Court rejected the owner's appeal. ⚠️ A significant precedent: for shadow-fleet operators, the risk is no longer just sanctions or detention, it can mean losing the vessel itself.

🚢🇸🇪⚖️➡️🇺🇦 Sweden clears the transfer of CAFFA to Ukraine in a landmark ruling! Sweden detained 🇬🇳 CAFFA (IMO 9143611) on 6 March, after the vessel sailed under a false Guinean flag.

🚨🚨🚨 Cameroon moves to reclaim its flag from Russia’s shadow fleet Sanctioned vessels, flag-hopping, exploited shipping registries… 🇨🇲 Cameroon is now seeking to regain control over its flag and is discussing a reform of its maritime registry with Washington.

🚨🇸🇾🛢️🇷🇺📉 Syria is reportedly willing to drastically cut Russian oil imports: another sign of Moscow’s declining influence in a country that was once one of its closest regional allies.

🚨 🚨 🚨 The Ireland Cost guard is not loafing around! On the 6 August afternoon, the sanctioned crude oil tanker 🇷🇺 PRIMORYE (IMO 9421260) has passed few nautical miles away from Irish coasts.

On 3 August, NEUSTRASHIMY took over escort duties for the tanker 🇷🇺 PRODUCER (IMO 9346732). ⚠️ The sequence illustrates the close monitoring of Russian naval movements in the North Sea, with HMS TYNE shadowing NEUSTRASHIMY before the frigate linked up with PRODUCER and commenced the escort.

🚨🚨🚨 Frigate NEUSTRASHIMY escorted sanctioned tanker PRODUCER On 2 August, the frigate 🇷🇺 NEUSTRASHIMY was observed holding position in the southern North Sea, where she was being shadowed by the Royal Navy patrol vessel 🇬🇧 HMS TYNE.

🚨🚨🚨 An interesting signal from AIS data On 27 July, 76% of designated shadow fleet tankers in the Suez/Port Said area were stationary, compared with 48% of conventional tankers in the same waters.

Under the new rules, vessels can now be sanctioned for bunkering, towing, or conducting STS transfers with designated ships. ⚠️ Supporting the shadow fleet is now itself sanctionable.

🚨🇪🇺 For the first time, the EU has sanctioned bunkering vessels for supplying fuel to already sanctioned tankers. Brussels is no longer targeting only the shadow fleet itself, but also the maritime service providers that keep it operating.

🚨🚨🚨 If Russian naval escorts are so effective, why is the shadow fleet avoiding the English Channel? The attached 90-day AIS playback shows a clear shift in routing.

🚨🔁🇷🇺🚢👀 Russia's Baltic naval rotation continues, and so does the apparent effort to shield its shadow fleet. The ADMIRAL LEVCHENKO has reportedly deployed to the Baltic Sea, replacing the SEVEROMORSK, which maintained a presence in the region throughout June.

The 🚩 CAROLINE BEZENGI (IMO: 9224439) shows what happens when accountability disappears faster than the hydrocarbons. Acting only after disaster strikes is not a solution.

🚨🚨🚨 These two images sum up a scandal. An abandoned tanker from Russia's shadow fleet. An oil slick spreading. A fragile ecosystem under threat.

After the vessel's master refused to cooperate with the inspection, a military boarding team was inserted by helicopter to conduct the operation. The boarding was supported by a Greek Navy vessel and a Polish Navy maritime patrol aircraft. 👉 Comply with the rules, and you'll sail without delay.

🚨🇪🇺🇷🇺 The EURONAVFOR IRINI strikes again on the shadow fleet! Yesterday, the tanker 🇨🇲 TAO PAYOH (IMO 9298492) was intercepted by the Italian Navy frigate ITS THAON DI REVEL west of Pantelleria island in the Mediterranean.

➡️ In other words, they're trying to build the roof before laying the foundations. That criticism may be more revealing than the announcement itself.

🇷🇺👥 Prominent military bloggers like Rybar and Ramsay argue the Navy is skipping essential steps: fielding large numbers of smaller USVs, developing doctrine, and building the industrial base.