Albania Blocks Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker From Entering Durres Port
Albanian authorities stopped an oil tanker from entering the Port of Durres on August 29 after Ukrainian military intelligence identified it as part of Russia’s shadow fleet.
The tanker named HANUMAN, flagged in Sierra Leone, has been tracked by Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) for some time.
GUR added HANUMAN to its War&Sanctions database on January 26, 2026, listing it as an active vessel in Russia’s shadow fleet.
According to GUR, HANUMAN has carried about 452,000 tonnes of Russian fuel since the start of 2025.
Most of the tanker’s voyages started at Novorossiysk. It then travelled to Turkey, Senegal and the UAE. The vessel was also reported at a transshipment area near Augusta, Italy.
GUR welcomed Albania’s decision as a sign of international cooperation against Russia’s sanctions evasion.
Ukraine’s military intelligence said Russia’s shadow fleet uses risky and deceptive methods to bypass sanctions and make money from oil sales. It also warned that these vessels can pose risks to ships and the environment.
GUR said some vessels switch off tracking systems, make dangerous manoeuvres and do not meet modern environmental standards.
The logistics for HANUMAN’s voyages were handled by Altoprae Marine, a Russian company based in Novorossiysk, according to GUR.
The Ukrainian agency said the company was founded and is managed by a senior manager from the orbit of sanctioned Russian oligarch Gennadiy Timchenko, whom it described as a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
GUR also said the company Altoprae Marine is known for regularly maintaining tankers that are part of the Russian shadow fleet.
One of the vessels linked to the company is EVENTIN. According to GUR, the tanker is under sanctions from the European Union, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Ukraine.
Another is CORDELIA MOON, now named WALRUS. It is under sanctions from the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, Australia and Ukraine.
The agency said both vessels have been involved in incidents that threatened environmental safety.
GUR also said Altoprae Marine is involved in the operations of vessels belonging to Rosewood Shipping, which it said is linked to Oksana Marchenko, the wife of Viktor Medvedchuk.
The tanker HANUMAN had previously called at the Port of Durres in November 2025.
A BIRN investigation published in May 2026 identified the tanker among vessels suspected of carrying Russian oil or stolen Ukrainian grain that had called at Albanian ports since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Albania is a NATO member and an EU candidate country. It has followed EU sanctions against Russia since February 2022.
References: albaniandailynews, usm
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