Andrii Klymenko, the head of a monitoring team at the Institute of Black Sea Strategic Studies, has said that the first "group attempt" to violate the European Union’s embargo on the importation of crude oil from Russia by sea has been registered, the CFTS portal reports.
Three tankers carrying Russian crude oil have arrived in the Laconian Gulf in Greece, he said.
According to Klymenko, the first Greek tanker, the Trident Hope, left the Russian port of Taman on 9 December. It stated Singapore as its destination port when leaving the Russian port but changed the destination port to Greece when leaving the Sea of Marmara and arrived in the Laconian Gulf on 23 December. The second Greek tanker, the Sovereign, left the Russian port of Tuapse on 10 December, stated Kalamata as its destination port when leaving the Russian port, and arrived in the Laconian Gulf on 23 December. The third Greek tanker, the Anafi Warrior, left the Russian port of Taman on 14 December, stated Kalamata as its destination port when leaving the port, and arrived in the Laconian Gulf on 24 December.
"About 270,000 tons of Russian crude oil has thus arrived in the territorial waters and exclusive economic zone of Greece, a member state of the EU. Since the Laconian Gulf is known as a place of transshipment of crude oil from ship to ship, it can be assumed that this sanctioned Russian crude oil will be transshipped to other tankers for delivery to EU countries," he said.
All three offending tankers are Greek-owned.
