The tanker was detained on Sunday evening. Previously, a tanker called Tavian was to sail through German waters in the North Sea. According to “Süddeutsche Zeitung” sources, the unit was most likely heading to St. Petersburg, where there are two terminals capable of receiving large amounts of crude oil. Federal police found this suspicious, so they sent a helicopter to the tanker on the tanker and demanded documents.
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German media: the tanker changed its name 13 times
According to a German newspaper, the analysis of the tanker's documents apparently aroused police suspicions, which is why the ship was detained and banned from entering German waters in the Baltic Sea. After blocking the entrance, he was supposed to head north.
Tankers referred to as “zombies” are old vessels with a new registration number and a new name. According to the documents, Tavian is only a year old, although she has been at sea for 27 years. At that time it already had 13 different names. In 2021, it was placed on the US sanctions list under the name “Sierra” for transporting Venezuelan oil. The ship most likely belongs to the “shadow fleet” used by Russia to transport oil to avoid Western sanctions.
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Similar incidents have already occurred in recent months. According to “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the German authorities carried out, among others: inspection of the “shadow fleet” tanker Chariot Tide in December, which reported technical problems near an underwater cable. Officials boarded but ultimately allowed the ship to sail.
