Selva

The two stateless tankers 'Sierra' (IMO: 9522324) and 'Naxos', inbound to the Russian oil operations in the Baltic, were spotted sailing with the Russian Steregushchy-class corvette 'Boikiy'. following the increasing effort by the Baltic nations and the EU to crack down on the shadow fleet, and after after Estonia recemtöy jad attempted to inspect another tanker that was suspected of being stateless. The 'Bolky' had disguised itself using a fake ID signal while transiting through the English Channel with the two sanctioned tankers, a BBC. It broadcast the fake ID code as it passed through the Channel on June 21. The ship had left West Africa in June, where it had been taking part in a diplomatic mission and docked in Conakry. The corvette left the port without activating its AIS. However, a vessel travelling under the generic identification number 400000000 - a code sometimes used by vessels who want to alert others to their presence for safety reasons without identifying themselves - was seen briefly near the Canary Islands. The location was consistent with the time it could have taken the 'Boikiy' to travel the 200 kilometres from Conakry. The 'Boikiy' was later joined by the two tankers which had made their way from India through the Suez Canal and across the Mediterranean. The three vessels rendezvoused at the mouth of the Channel on June 20. Here, the Russian naval vessel appeared again in radar-based and optical satellite images. The 'Naxos' had reached the entrance to the Channel several days earlier than the other ships, and waited for the warship before proceeding into the channel. The Royal Navy shadowed the 'Boikiy' as it passed through the Channel. The vessels have since reached the Kattegat, but neither tanker was showing an accurate destination on its AIS. Both the 'Sierran' and the 'Naxos' been sanctioned by the UK, and one also by the EU. The tankers are linked to companies in Dubai and India. The 'Naxos' has been alternately using the name 'Selva ', displaying Palau as its flag, after previously showing Panama. In 2022, it reported registry first in the Marshall Islands and later in St. Kitts and Nevis. The 'Sierra' is displaying a flag of Malawi after having been registered in São Tomé & Principe in 2023 and before in Barbados and Gabon. Until 2022, the vessel was named 'Suvorovsky Prospect', managed by Russia’s Sovcomflot. The corvette appeared to be employed for various escort duties of merchant ships.In mid-May, it was spotted escorting the Russian-flagged cargo vessels 'Siyanie Severa' and 'Patria', while they headed south into the Atlantic Ocean. In March and in early May, the UK's Royal Navy tracked the warship along with merchant ships during transits of the English Channel. Last week, Denmark identified another stateless tanker inbound to Russia. The Danish Maritime Authority reported that the tanker had misled the authorities, reporting it was registered in Comoros. Denmark tracked the vessel into and out of the Baltic but did not attempt to stop it. Other countries, including Sweden, have vowed to increase their efforts if the stateless tankers enter their territories. The EU and UK have also increased the number of tankers they have listed. Report with photos: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62gq6y62d1o

On June 12 a sick crew member of the 'Naxos' needed to be medevaced at the anchorage of Şevketiye. Coastal Safety deployed the lifeboat 'Kiyem 9' to assist, and the patient was dropped off in a rescue basket. He was then taken to shore and and delivered to the medical teams in Lapseki. Photo: https://twitter.com/kiyiemniyet/status/1668327507882541056