Sanctioned Shadow Fleet Tanker Escorted After Breakdown Off Spain

MADRID, Jan 27 (Reuters) – An oil tanker under EU sanctions for carrying Russian oil is being escorted to Tanger Med in Morocco by a Spanish rescue ship, Spain’s Merchant Marine said on Tuesday.

The Chariot Tide, which was sailing under a Mozambique flag and until November was known as the Marabella Sun, has been on an EU sanctions list since November 2024 for helping Russia export oil “while practicing irregular and high-risk shipping practices,” according to the European Union. It has also been sanctioned by the UK, according to the British government.

The Merchant Marine did not say why the Chariot Tide was not seized, and Spain’s Defence Ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The Chariot Tide’s engine broke down on January 22 and the boat had been drifting without propulsion in international waters 33 miles south of Adra in the region of Almeria, the Merchant Marine said in an email, adding that it fell within Spain’s search-and-rescue zone.

It was being escorted to Tanger Med by the maritime rescue vessel Clara Campoamor, the Merchant Marine said. The Tanger Med port authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Between 1,200 and 1,600 tankers currently operate as a so-called shadow fleet, according to estimates from industry sources and analysts.

They help Russia and other countries such as Venezuela and Iran evade Western sanctions and sell their oil to countries such as China and India. The vessels are often old, their ownership is opaque, and they sail without top-tier insurance cover to meet international standards for oil majors and many ports.

Countries in the Baltic Sea and North Sea on Monday issued a letter warning of the dangers of ships that manipulate or falsify identification systems, switch off tracking devices and use more than one flag to avoid detection and circumvent sanctions.

Morocco, a U.S. ally, maintains good ties with Russia, and the two countries signed a fisheries deal in October allowing Russian ships to fish in Morocco’s Atlantic waters.

(Reporting by Charlie Devereux, Emma Pinedo and David Latona; Additional reporting by Ahmed El Jechtimi; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Updated: February 11, 2026 (Originally published January 27, 2026)

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This article contains reporting from Reuters, published under license.

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