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A sanctioned dark fleet tanker is drifting suspiciously over a NATO undersea electricity cable in the Baltic.
Ship of the Day: Devika/Qasr (IMO 9402471)
Since the morning of September 22, Devika (IMO 9402461) a sanctioned, Russia-trading tanker was observed drifting three times over a 24-hour period at slow speed over the Est-link 2 undersea electricity cable linking Finland and Estonia.
Such movements are highly unusual, and this well-known, anonymously owned dark fleet aframax tanker has been flouting international maritime rules since May when it reflagged to Malawi. Devika continues to broadcast the African nation as its flag via AIS.
Malawi is a fraudulent register, which renders Devika’s insurance and class, if it has any, invalid.
So-called greyzone aggression including sabotage of undersea cables is high on the maritime security agenda amongst NATO countries in the Baltic where tensions are sky-high.
The sailing pattern comes amid recent Russian drone incursions into Poland, Russian fighter jets invading Estonia’s airspace and airport closures for Oslo and Copenhagen today after drone sightings that the EU said fit the pattern of Russia behavior.
In such a feverish atmosphere, Devika’s sailing path and behavior is sure to draw attention from regional coast guards and navies which are closely tracking sanctions-circumventing dark fleet tankers as they sail to and from Russian Baltic ports to load cargoes.
In such a feverish atmosphere, Devika’s sailing path and behavior is sure to draw attention from regional coast guards and navies which are closely tracking sanctions-circumventing dark fleet tankers as they sail to and from Russian Baltic ports to load cargoes.
Devikia is in ballast after sailing back to the region from delivering a cargo at Vadinar, signalling its next destination as Primorsk. Like many dark fleet tankers, much about the 2009-built vessel remains a mystery. The UK sanctioned the ship in November, followed by the EU in May.
Windward shows Devika has engaged in ship-to-ship transfers with other sanctioned tankers, and has been solely deployed in shipping Russian crude to China and India since its sale to a special purpose vehicle in Seychelles in November 2023.
Registered ownership changed again in June, to another Seychelles SPV, after the EU sanctions.
According to the EU’s Equasis database, Devika changed name to Qasr and flag to Oman in July. However Windward analysis of its AIS broadcasts shows this is not what the ship is transmitting.
Devika continues to transmit an MMSI number from Malawi and has not changed its name, adding to confusion about its status and behavior.
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