Sanctioned Russian Tanker Immediately Reverses

Following the imposition of US sanctions, a Russian oil tanker swiftly altered its course near Portugal. The NS Leader, under the ownership purview of the Russian Federation, was en route to Primorsk, a Baltic Sea port, when sanctions came into effect at 2 p.m. Washington time on Thursday.

According to vessel tracking and shipping data compiled by Bloomberg, the 817-foot tanker, originally scheduled to load its subsequent cargo in approximately 10 days, significantly reduced its speed, executed a U-turn, and revised its destination to "for orders."

This maneuver underscores the tangible impact of the sanctions, which have been incrementally tightening since late last year. Two months prior, another sanctioned vessel, the Viktor Bakaev, mirrored this action in a comparable area, aborting its journey to an alternative Russian oil export terminal. Presently, the Viktor Bakaev remains anchored in the Black Sea, with no subsequent cargo endeavors recorded, as indicated by shipping data. The NS Leader appears to be mirroring a similar trajectory.

The US Treasury placed sanctions on NS Leader Shipping Incorporated, registered in Liberia and the vessel's owner, alongside UAE-based entities Zeenit Supply and Trading DMCC, Talassa Shipping DMCC, and Oil Tankers SCF Mgmt FZCO.

In its assertion, the Treasury confirmed the Russian Federation as the ultimate proprietor of the NS Leader, aligning with information upheld by the International Maritime Organization's database.