The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) has released information on 20 vessels in Russia's shadow fleet
Ukraine’s military intelligence has published information on 20 maritime vessels that are transporting Russian oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and are refueling ships in the sanctioned fleet. All of them are subject to sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom or Ukraine, and one of the vessels is also subject to U.S. restrictions.
“These vessels are part of a logistics network that the Kremlin uses to generate revenue to finance its genocidal war against Ukraine. Currently, all of them are subject to sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom or Ukraine, and one of the vessels is subject to U.S. restrictions,” the agency noted.
Among the key vessels on the published list is the Russian ship PORTOVYY (IMO 9246621), designed for the transport and storage of liquefied natural gas.
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate, since 2021, the tanker has been owned by the sanctioned company PJSC “Gazprom” and is used as a floating gas storage facility within the “Portovaya” complex in the Leningrad Oblast.
“On August 15, 2026, the PORTOVYY, carrying a cargo of Russian LNG, left the waters of the Gulf of Finland for the first time since November 2021. The tanker traveled via the Northern Sea Route to the Chinese port of Beihai for unloading,” the intelligence report stated.
The vessel is currently at the Zhoushan Huafeng Shipyard on Zhoushan Island, which has been designated as the site for its maintenance.
The Main Intelligence Directorate also released information about two new vessels in Russia’s shadow fleet of gas carriers, which, according to the agency, Russia hastily purchased through front companies around the world in the spring of 2026.
These are the conventional gas tanker AVACHA (IMO 9319404) and the gas tanker CHAIVO. The report provided for CHAIVO lists the same IMO number—9319404—as that for AVACHA.
AVACHA previously belonged to the Chinese company Jovo Energy. In the spring of 2026, the vessel was purchased by the little-known company Tudor Maritime Ltd from the Marshall Islands.
Since June 2026, the tanker has been sailing under the Russian flag and is managed by a newly established Russian entity—Cryoline Management LLC (TIN 6500028647).
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate, since August 2026, the AVACHA has been transporting gas from the “Utrenniy” terminal—part of the sanctioned “Arctic LNG-2” project—to the Chinese hub in Beihai.
The gas carrier CHAIVO previously belonged to the Greek company Maran Gas Maritime, but it was also acquired by Tudor Maritime Ltd.
“Since July 2026, the vessel has been registered under the Russian flag and operates under the umbrella of Kryoline Management LLC.” Since August of this year, the gas carrier has been transporting cargo to the port of Beihai from the sanctioned non-self-propelled floating gas storage unit (FSU) KORYAK, located in the waters of the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky,” the GUR reported.
The intelligence agency explained that to preserve critically important revenue from energy exports, Russia is not only attempting to build ice-class vessels at its own shipyards but is also systematically expanding its shadow fleet through a network of offshore entities.
The Main Intelligence Directorate called on foreign partners to coordinate their actions and increase pressure on the Russian energy sector. Specifically, this involves tightening controls on the sale of vessels by commercial entities, cutting off Russia’s energy revenue sources, and blocking opportunities for sanctioned vessels to receive maintenance at foreign shipyards.
“Every Russian tanker transporting sanctioned oil or gas is a legitimate target for international sanctions pressure,” the agency stated.
This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR MODU) on Telegram.
Earlier, Japan announced a new package of economic sanctions against the Russian Federation—the aggressor state—in connection with its aggression against Ukraine. The restrictions, in particular, apply to 35 vessels of the so-called “shadow fleet,” which, according to Japanese authorities, transport Russian oil and help circumvent international sanctions.
The number of vessels flying the Russian flag increased by more than a third between January 2025 and June 2026. This is happening against the backdrop of mounting international pressure and efforts to combat the so-called “shadow fleet,” according to a study by the Center for Energy and Clean Air Research.
