Spark

On the morning of Jan 16, the tugs 'Nene Hatun' (IMO: 9675004), 'Kurtarma 16' (IMO: 9915052) and 'Kurtarma 17' (IMO: 9942990) were still working to refloat the grounded 'Qendil' off Habbvele, Boczaada. The tugs have managed to pull the stern of the tanker around during the recent days, while the bow still remained stuck on the rocks in pos. 39° 49.38' N 025° 58.10' E. The salvage work was continued on Jan 16, and the tugs 'Nene Hatun', 'Kurtaran', ' Kurtarma 16' and 'Kurtarma 17' finally managed to refloat the tanker, assisted by the lifeboats 'Kiyem 6' and 'Kiyem 7', in the run of the day. The vessel was moored at the Canakkale anchorage, secured by the 'Nene Hatun' in pos. 39° 47' N 025° 59' E. Videos: https://x.com/i/status/2012251227682230527 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2078793129546590

Two Russian nationals with ties to the Wagner Group and the GRU (Russian military intelligence) were discovered aboard the 'Qendil', which was part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet used to circumvent Western oil sanctions. The men in question, listed as “security” in crew records, are believed by experts to potentially have been involved in intelligence-gathering operations in European waters. The two men, Alexander Malakhov and Viktor Alexandrov, boarded the vessel in early Sep 2025, shortly before it departed from the Russian port of Ust-Luga. Neither man was a registered seafarer, with no maritime qualifications listed. Their presence was unusual, as previous voyages of the 'Qendil' did not include armed security, despite its route through high-risk zones such as the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden. Malakhov, born in 1975 in the Volgograd region, is a former member of Russia’s elite 22nd Spetsnaz Brigade, under the command of the GRU. Public records show he later worked in aviation security in Rostov-on-Don, before abruptly leaving his post in late 2023. In early 2024, he traveled from Syria—a country known as a deployment hub for Russian mercenaries—to Russia, although his specific activities remain unclear. Alexandrov, born in 1965 in Crimea, has a criminal background, including a robbery conviction in the early 2000s. Financial records show years of debt and reliance on payday lenders. He eventually joined the Wagner Group and, according to leaked internal documents, served as a BMP driver in the group’s sixth assault detachment under the callsign “Katso.” His file indicated that he was dismissed in 2019 following an alcohol-fueled incident in Syria, during which he and others allegedly left their base, traveled to Palmyra in a military vehicle, and disarmed Syrian pro-government forces at a checkpoint while intoxicated. Despite being blacklisted, records showed he returned to Wagner’s ranks by 2020, traveling on a military Il-76 transport plane operated by Russia’s Ministry of Defense. The lack of prior armed escorts aboard the 'Qendil' and the presence of individuals with intelligence and paramilitary backgrounds have led analysts to suspect espionage, rather than protection duties, as the true nature of their mission.

The Russian shadow fleet tanker 'Qendil' ran aground off Bozcaada island in the Polente area, near the southern entrance of the Dardanelles Strait on Jan 4, 2026, while ballasting from Aliağa to the repair zobe of Yalova. The tanker had dropped anchor southwest of Bozcaada, but started to drift towards the coast, reaching speeds of up to four knots, before it finally got stuck around 100 meters off the shore. The captain requested assistance from the Vessel Traffic Services of the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, which then sent the tugs 'Kurtarma 10' (IMO: 9598593) and 'Kurtarma 16' (IMO: 9915052) to assist the vessel, which could, however, not prevent the grounding. The cause for the ship to gho adifti and the subsequent grounding were under investigation. The Çanakkale administration stated that inspections showed the vessel was not taking on water, the crew was healthy, and there was no pollution of the marine environment due to the vessel being empty. The 'Qendil' had been damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Mediterranean Seamore than 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine on Dec 19, off Libya’s coast, en route from Sikka to the Russian port of Ust Luga. The vessel was under sanctions from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Both the vessel and its owner have been sanctioned by Ukraine. Reports with photos and video: https://turkdeniz.com/bozcaada-ve-buyukada-aciklarinda-kritik-anlar-kegmden-zamaninda-mudahale https://www.biganinsesi.com/bozcaada-korkutan-olay/amp https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTF3NN1CitU/ https://x.com/themaritimenet/status/2008203083265020229

On Dec 19, 2025, the 'Qendil', listed under EU/UK sanctions and associated with Russia’s shadow fleet, was struck by air drones in the Mediterranean Sea. The Ukrainian domestic intelligence service reported that the tanker was severely damaged and was no longer operational. The operation was carried out by the Alfa special forces unit, and air drones were used.The tanker was ballasting at the time and sustained damage described as “critical.” No environmental risk was reported. The tanker reversed course and remained underway at moderate speed, indicating that the vessel was still navigable. Its declared destination was now Port Said, consistent with a diversion toward a nearby port or anchorage. Report with video: https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/war-reaches-the-mediterranean-as-ukraine-1766143808.html

The insurance issued to tankers used by Russia to skirt international sanctions was bogus, according to Norwegian authorities, which are now investigating the Norway-registered Romarine AS, which is behind the forged documents and is fully owned by Andrey Mochalin, a Russian citizen and former employee of the Norwegian insurer Hydor AS. The company was not registered as an insurance provider by Norway’s Financial Supervisory Authority Finanstilsynet (FSA). The firm made an effort to show the tankers involved had Western insurance coverage in the event of pollution or sinking. The FSA sent a warning to Romarine in January of this year, but the company failed to respond, prompting the FSA to issue an order on March 4, 2025, instructing the firm to halt operations. Romarine stated it was aware of the FSA’s March 4 order and that it had replied “with some delay through our lawyers.” Romarine said it operated in line with applicable regulations, but that it had decided to stop taking new business until there is a positive feedback from the authority. The FSA, however, has in fact not received a reply from Romarine. Norway’s official company registry shows that Romarine’s website is located in Russia with an IP address in St Petersburg. Romarine’s website as of early March listed at least 30 tankers subject to U.S., EU or UK sanctions, including the 'Captain Kostichev' (IMO: 9301392), operated by United Arab Emirates-based Stream Ship Management', and the 'Ionia', owned and operated by Seychelles-based Narus Maritime Corporation and since renamed 'Oilstar', A certificate of insurance provided by the 'Ionia' to Russian port authorities in Primorsk on Feb 2 and dated Jan 9, listed Romarine as its insurance provider. Another presented to port authorities in De Kastri by the 'Captain Kostichev' was dated March 24 and also listed Romarine as its insurer. Although that certificate said it was valid until April 24, the vessel has since been deleted from Romarine’s website, while the 'Ionia' was remaining. REgarding vessels that are subject to Western sanctions, Romarine said on March 12 that they appeared on its website by mistake due to a technical glitch. These vessels cannot access Western insurance markets because of sanctions, and have turned to Russian and Indian insurers to plug the gap. The FSA became concerned about Romarine after it received an emailed inquiry last September from overseas asking about a document carrying FSA’s letterhead which certified Romarine as a vessel’s insurer and immediately saw that it was false, The letterhead had possibly been copied and pasted into the forged document. It cited non-existent Norwegian law. The person who signed it never worked at the FSA, and the stamp was false. The FSA on March 25 posted a warning on its website against using the services of Romarine. The Oslo police have also launched an investigation into Romarine’s business activities after receiving a complaint from the FSA. They were investigating four people, two Norwegian nationals, one Bulgarian and one Russian, on suspicion of creating and using falsified documents and performing insurance mediation activities without a license. They said a search of the residence of one of the suspects was conducted in late March. The two Norwegians denied knowledge of any wrongdoing; The Russian resident of St. Petersburg owns and manages the business. He was not in custody, and despite the instructions from Norwegian authorities, the company's website remained online. As of March 25, the FSA was unable to reach the brokerage and warned against entering into agreements with the Romarine AS and against using the services offered through the company's websites. The new insurance inspection regime in the Baltic Sea turned up seven tankers that claimed to be covered by Romarine. The false coverage documents passed muster at the time, given the Norwegian address and connections of Romarine, but had no actual insurance behind them. This left the tankers dangerously uncovered in the event of a casualty or a spill.

Polembros Shipping of Greece is to add another aframax tanker to its fleet of dry and liquid bulk carriers. George Vakirtzis, managing director of the Athens-based family-owned company, confirms to Splash the purchase of Elia, a 115,400 dwt tanker built in 2006 by the Japanese shipyard Sanoyas.

On July 6, 2014, at 2 p.m. the US Coast Guard received a call from the "Elia" reporting that the 47-old Russian Chief Engineer was missing. He was seen last time at 10.10 a.m., and then disappeared. He was believed to have fallen overboard. The vessel was thoroughly searched, but he wasn’t found. The tanker was 20 miles off Port Aransas, en route from Lake Chrales to Corpus Christi in the Gulf of Mexico.The vessel was anchored on Corpus Christi Anchorage in the evening of July 6. The man wasn’t found yet. The Coast Guard Sector Houston/Galveston watchstanders had responded to the call and Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders began facilitating the search with crews from a Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and a Coast Guard Station Port Aransas based 45-foot response boat. A Corpus Christi based HU-25 Falcon airplane crew also joined the search. If crews were unable to locate the man before nightfall, the Coast Guard Cutter "Amberjack", an 87-foot patrol boat, was expected to join in the search.