After being intercepted for the first time on January 22, The Russian oil tanker GRINCH has been seen again in the Strait of Gibraltar. This ship, belonging to the so-called Russian ghost fleet, has been observed in the bay of Algeciras while it mixed with other vessels to evade the controls imposed after the start of the war in Ukraine. A maneuver that he has achieved thanks to changing his name to Transformer, evading Navy controls.
This oil tanker already tried to cross, without success, the Alboran Sea when it was intercepted by the French National Navy. When he was arrested, The boat carried a flag of Comoros to try to go unnoticed through control, one of the most common tactics to avoid sanctions. The detention lasted three weeks and involved a fine of several million dollars.
The oil tanker would have changed its name to be able to cross the Strait of Gibraltar
However, this time it seems that the distraction techniques have worked, because When his name was changed, he has not been located by the authorities. The Grinch, now Transformer, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar coming from Port Said, located in Egypt. Something that is completely prohibited after the imposition of international sanctions on Moscow for the start of the war with Ukraine. These sanctions, in turn, allow the authorities intervene according to article 110 of the United Nations Conventionon the Law of the Sea.
As reported by the media “EuropaSur”, after crossing the strait, the ship has headed towards the coasts of Portugal and Galicia. Likewise, before the boat could be observed off the coast of Algeciras, A Russian convoy also crossed the area heading to the Atlantic. He was not alone, but was accompanied by a naval escort made up of the oil tanker General Skobelev and the Ro-Ro freighter Sparta.
Russia could be circumventing controls to continue circulating on the Syrian Express supply route
To these operations it is worth adding the presence of the Russian corvette RFS Boikiy, which completes a group that, according to the aforementioned media, would be crossing Syrian Express supply route. This was quite attended by the Russian Navy until the imposition of sanctions for the conflict with Ukraine and the implementation by the Turkish authorities of the terms of the Montreux Conventionwith which they prohibited the passage of Russian ships.
However, everything seems to indicate that Russian vessels continue making the same routealthough resorting to modifications in the name, the flags or even the AIS identifier to avoid being located by the authorities. Thanks to this, Russia could be carrying out the transfer of vehicles, support equipment and military material despite European sanctions.
Although this has not been the only previously sanctioned vessel that has been observed sailing through the Mediterranean Sea. As reported by “EuropaSur”, in the Strait of Chios a boat with the Cameroonian flag could be seen that was linked to sanctions evasion imposed by the European Union and the United Kingdom.