An oil tanker under EU sanctions for carrying Russian oil was being escorted to Tanger Med in Morocco by a Spanish rescue ship, Spain’s Merchant Marine said on Tuesday.
The Chariot Tide, sailing under a Mozambique flag and previously known as the Marabella Sun, has been on the EU sanctions list since November 2024 for assisting Russia in exporting oil “while practising irregular and high‑risk shipping practices”, according to the European Union.
Reuters reports that the tanker has also been sanctioned by the UK.
The Merchant Marine did not explain why the Chariot Tide was not seized, and Spain’s Defence Ministry declined to comment.
The tanker’s engine broke down on January 22, leaving it drifting without propulsion in international waters 33 miles south of Adra in the Almería region. It was within Spain’s search‑and‑rescue zone, the Merchant Marine said.
The vessel is being escorted to Tanger Med by the maritime rescue ship Clara Campoamor. The Tanger Med port authority did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Estimates from industry sources and analysts suggest that between 1 200 and 1 600 tankers currently operate as a shadow fleet. These vessels help Russia and other countries, including Venezuela and Iran, to evade Western sanctions and sell oil to nations such as China and India. They are often ageing, have opaque ownership structures, and operate without top‑tier insurance, falling short of the standards required by major oil companies and many ports.
Countries bordering the Baltic and North Seas recently issued a warning about ships that manipulate or falsify identification systems, switch off tracking devices, and use multiple flags to avoid detection and bypass sanctions.
Morocco, a US ally, maintains good relations with Russia. In October, the two countries signed a fisheries agreement allowing Russian vessels to operate in Morocco’s Atlantic waters.
