An investigation by LRT, 15min, Eesti Ekspress and Nekā personīga found that between June 2024 and March 2025, bunker tankers Rina and Zircone, owned by Estonia-based bunkering group known as Fast Bunkering, conducted 286 ship-to-ship operations. During this period they refueled 177 oil and oil product tankers of which at least 159 had called at Russian ports shortly before or after these transfers.

According to an analysis by Anatalii Kravtsev from the Kyiv School of Economics, at the time Rina and Zircone supplied fuel, at least 20 of those tankers showed clear signs they were part of the Russian shadow fleet.

While international sanctions permit exceptions for refueling vessels transporting Russian oil, stringent legal conditions apply. These include verifying not only that the oil cargo adheres to the G7+ price caps, but also that the tanker does not exhibit shadow fleet characteristics, such as lacking valid insurance, working with sanctioned entities or violating maritime safety procedures.

Despite these rules, on March 21 Rina carried out a mid-sea transfer with the notorious shadow fleet tanker Fotuo in the port of Skagen. The next day, it was also refuelled by Zircone. In the course of nine months, both of them carried out two more mid-sea transfers with Fotuo. In May, it was added to the European Union (EU) and UK sanctions lists due to high-risk shipping practices.

While companies operating under the Fast Bunkering trademark seemingly closed shop after international sanctions hit in 2023, the collaborative investigation found that the refueling ships are still active in the Baltic Sea and that their new official owners still have ties to the Baltic bunkering businessmen.

For more details, head to LRT or Eesti Ekspress.

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