Sanctioned Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker detained in Murmansk over wage debts to crew and “serious” paperwork issues

Local authorities in the northern Russian city of Murmansk have detained the oil tanker Unity, sailing under the flag of Lesotho, after the Seafarers’ Union of Russia (SUR) requested a state port inspection. According to a statement on the union’s website, the ship is currently being held due to “wage arrears to the crew, a non-functioning Inmarsat satellite number, and serious problems with vessel documentation.”

State inspectors boarded the vessel on Aug. 28, confirmed multiple violations, and refused to issue clearance to sail until they were resolved. The tanker Unity (IMO 9388792) has been sanctioned by the EU, UK, Switzerland and several other countries for transporting Russian oil.

Crew members told the union they received their June wages only on July 27, while their July salaries remain unpaid. Some sailors who left the ship have not received their final settlements. As of Aug. 13, the tanker’s captain had calculated total wage arrears for the 20-person crew at nearly $90,000. The union said some crew contracts were signed with Argo Tanker Group LLC (ООО «Арго Танкер Групп»), which is not legally listed as the shipowner, while others were with FMTC ShipCharter LLC. “Aside from this, some contracts reference a collective agreement with the Seafarers’ Union of Russia that in fact does not exist,” the SUR said.

The sailors also reported that the vessel’s flag registration in Gambia expired on Aug. 5, which automatically invalidated its insurance policy. The new registration documents issued under Lesotho’s flag, along with a Pyramid Marine Overseas insurance policy, list Petroleum United FZCO as the registry company. The crew members fear that if the vessel has indeed switched flags and registries, their contracts could be invalid, and they would be unable to file P&I insurance claims in the event that the shipowner fails to honor its wage obligations.

According to VesselFinder, Unity has repeatedly changed names and flag states since its launch in 2009. From September 2024 to February 2025, it sailed under the Russian flag.

UK government data indicates that the vessel’s operator is Argo Tanker Group LLC (written in English), which is under U.S. sanctions. The company is registered in Moscow at Presnenskaya Embankment 10, Building 2, Office 139.

In August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on Argo Tanker Group LLC (the restrictions were imposed against the Russian-language ООО «Арго Танкер Групп») as part of measures targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet.” Russian corporate databases list that company under a slightly different address — at Presnenskaya Embankment 6, Building 2, Office 5001 — but both share the same taxpayer identification number, indicating they are the same entity.