Russia-Linked Tankers Keep Exploding

Newsweek

4 days ago

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An explosion on a tanker at a port in Russia is the latest unexplained incident to happen on a vessel linked to the country, which has raised speculation over sabotage.
Russia's transportation ministry said Sunday it was investigating the blast on the Eco Wizard tanker at the Ust-Luga port near St. Petersburg, which had caused an ammonia leak on board.
Last week, a blast caused flooding in the engine room of the Greek-owned Vilamoura off the coast of Libya. Ukraine said that the ship was part of Russia's "shadow fleet" used to evade oil sanctions. Four other mysterious limpet mine attacks hit vessels that had called at Russian ports this year.
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, but media outlets have noted how Kyiv's security forces often conduct covert action against Russian interests.
Olha Polishchuk from the analysis firm ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) told Newsweek on Monday that regarding the latest incident, "it is not unreasonable to suggest Ukraine's involvement."
Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense for comment.
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva
Why It Matters
The blasts on oil tankers linked to Russia have shaken the shipping world and prompted speculation that they were part of a state-backed sabotage campaign.
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, and there could be other causes, but Kyiv's drone strikes on Russian targets coincide with a fight against vessels that evade oil sanctions aimed at choking off funding for Moscow's military machine.
What To Know
Russian authorities reported an explosion on the Eco Wizard tanker at the strategically important Ust-Luga port in northwestern Russia's Leningrad region, located on the Gulf of Finland. No casualties were reported.
The blast caused "a minor leak of liquid ammonia" on board the vessel whose 23-person crew was evacuated, according to Russian Telegram news channel Baza, which said there was "an explosion of an unknown nature."
Eco Wizard was built in 2024 to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and was sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands and is suspected to belong to Russia's sanctions-busting shadow fleet, according to the Kyiv Independent.
The vessel had arrived from Antwerp, Belgium, on July 3, according to ship-tracking data from VesselFinder.
Polishchuk said that ACLED monitors Ukrainian strikes deep into Russia's territory and had previously recorded explosions where Kyiv's involvement was either confirmed or highly suspected.
Ukraine has also frequently targeted oil and gas-related facilities in the past, particularly those facilitating export, Polishchuk told Newsweek.
"Taking into consideration the reach of the previous attacks, the location of the current attack, and the nature of the target, it is not unreasonable to suggest Ukraine's involvement, though there are other possible causes."
The vessel Eco Wizard is the latest Russian-linked tanker to have suffered an explosion since the start of this year.
Last week, there was a blast on the Vilamoura shortly after it visited Ust-Luga in early April, where it loaded Kazakh-origin barrels and had called in at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal near Novorossiysk in May.
This is a pattern that correlates with at least four other tanker explosions since January, three of which happened in the Mediterranean, according to analysis by Lloyd's List, which was shared with Newsweek.
However, the common link to previous Russia oil terminal visits may not be sufficient to establish a connection between all recent explosions without clear evidence, Lloyd's List said.
All five tankers had passed through Malta's outer port limits, but links to Libya were also the common denominator in at least two explosions, it added. Four of the vessels belonged to Greek and Cypriot shipowners, according to the Financial Times.
The Vilamoura is part of the Cardiff Group of George Economou. The Seacharm, hit in January off Turkey, and the Seajewel, hit in February in Italy, belong to Thenamaris, which Nikolas Martinos controls.
The Grace Ferrum, damaged off Libya in February, belongs to the Cypriot firm Cymare. Another vessel, the Koala, was damaged in an explosion at Ust-Luga Port in February and had been sanctioned by the European Union in May for transporting Russian oil.
The oil tanker Eagle S, part of Russia's sanctions-busting shadow fleet, seen at the Port of Kilpilahti in Porvoo, Finland, on January 7, 2025.
The oil tanker Eagle S, part of Russia's sanctions-busting shadow fleet, seen at the Port of Kilpilahti in Porvoo, Finland, on January 7, 2025.
ANTTI AIMO-KOIVISTO/Getty Images
What People Are Saying
Olha Polishchuk, Eastern Europe Research Manager at ACLED, told Newsweek: "Previous attacks have also shown vulnerabilities in Russia's defense of not only its oil and gas industry, but also high-value military targets—vulnerabilities that Ukraine will continue to prod and exploit."
Lloyd's List on June 30: "A common link to previous Russia oil terminal visits may not be sufficient to link all recent explosions without clear evidence."
What Happens Next
The latest incident will be investigated by Russian authorities. Security analysts assume that such explosions are related to the vessel's recent loading at Russian oil export facilities; however, Lloyd's List said that there is no hard evidence to support these theories, making vessel risk assessments difficult for shipowners and operators.