Spain helped a Russian tanker under sanctions avoid arrest

Spain helped the Chariot Tide, an oil tanker from Russia's "shadow fleet," avoid justice. Spanish rescuers escorted the ship, which had a broken engine, to the Tanger-Med port in Morocco.

Reuters reports.

Spain escorted the Russian tanker to Moroccan shores

Previously named Marabella Sun and sailing under the Mozambican flag, the ship has been on the EU's sanctions list since November 2024 for helping Russia export oil "using irregular and high-risk shipping methods." According to the British government, the Chariot Tide is also subject to British sanctions.

On January 22, the Spanish Trade Fleet reported that the tanker's engine malfunctioned, leaving it drifting without power in international waters approximately 33 nautical miles south of Adra, near Almería. After the ship ended up in the Spanish search and rescue zone, the decision was made to escort it to the Tanger-Med port. The Clara Campoamor rescue ship provided the escort.

Meanwhile, neither the trading fleet nor the Spanish Ministry of Defense has explained why the sanctioned tanker was not detained. The Tanger-Med port administration did not immediately comment either.

According to industry sources and analysts, the "shadow fleet" currently consists of 1,200 to 1,600 tankers. These vessels help Russia and other countries, such as Venezuela and Iran, circumvent Western sanctions and sell oil, primarily to China and India. These tankers are usually old and have an opaque ownership structure and lack insurance coverage that meets international standards.

Earlier, countries in the Baltic and North Seas sent a joint letter warning about the dangers posed by ships that manipulate or falsify identification systems, turn off tracking devices, and use multiple flags to avoid detection and circumvent sanctions.

Morocco, a U.S. ally, maintains good relations with Russia. In October, the two countries signed a fishing agreement allowing Russian vessels to fish in Atlantic waters off Morocco.

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