Wall Vessel Reviews and Specifications

The maritime landscape is set to witness the arrival of the sanctioned tanker 'Jasper', which belongs to the notorious 'ghost fleet' utilized by Russia for oil transportation. Scheduled to dock at the port of Matanzas on December 23, 2025, the vessel is bringing with it a significant cargo of 300,000 barrels of Russian crude oil. This development comes on the heels of heightened measures from the United States, which has ramped up its naval blockade aimed at vessels transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil. In the past ten days alone, three tankers have been seized as part of this intensified operation. Just last week, Russia called for clarifications from the U.S. regarding the seizure of a tanker in proximity to Venezuela, a move that was declared under the guise of disrupting drug trafficking and oil smuggling operations. The 'Jasper' is affiliated with Beks Tanker Isletmeciligi AS, a prominent Turkish shipping company known for transporting hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil and Russian derivatives throughout 2023. Since March 2024, operations for the tanker have been transferred to Sand Gemi Isletmeciligi AS, another Turkish firm. In total, eight vessels operated by Beks Tanker in the same timeframe have been implicated, with another being managed by a previously sanctioned subsidiary—triggering the EU's decision to enforce sanctions. On May 20, the European Union officially sanctioned the 'Jasper' due to its role in bolstering the Kremlin's financial resources in support of the Ukraine invasion. The sanctions were imposed on the basis of the vessel's use of 'high-risk irregular shipping practices', a violation of International Maritime Organization regulations. Following the EU's lead, Switzerland imposed similar sanctions in June, with the United Kingdom aligning shortly thereafter in July. Coinciding with the 'Jasper's' impending arrival, two additional shipments from Mexico are also on their way to Cuba. The 'Ocean Mariner' is expected in Havana on December 22, while the 'Eugenia Gas' is projected to reach Moa later in the week. Both vessels, managed by GAESA, the Cuban Armed Forces’ commercial entity, are carrying around 80,000 barrels of fuel each, having loaded at the Pajaritos petrochemical plant, operated by the Mexican state-owned enterprise PEMEX.