OSINT Specialist @ DR Verificerer (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) Prefers Signal over DM/chat: panton.01 Personal, long form, seldom updated: https://christian.panton.org/ All posts and views are my own, and might contain traces of nuts.
One of the sketchiest oil tankers, AGATE, is currently being towed from an anchorage outside of Skt. Petersburg to Yalova, Turkey according to information they broadcast on AIS. sketchy.boats/9310707
Christian PantonIt's been a while, but: 🚨 False flagged 'AGATE' entered the Baltic through Storebælt. No overt response from the Danish Navy (acting as Coast Guard). Now back into international waters. 🔥 sketchy.boats/9310707
Interesting side-channel analysis on the shadow fleet.
A Private Email Server Connects Russia-Owned Sovcomflot to a Web of Shadow Fleet OperatorsSovcomflot crew postings on Telegram list the same anonymously registered email domain that a network of shadow fleet firms use, Kharon found. Experts say it furthers long-held suspicions about state ...www.kharon.comMV SOUTH STAR (briefly detained by IRINI), left La Goulette 24 hours ago. MarineTraffic now detected the switch to Equatorial Guinea flag on AIS. I suspect that there is a lag in MarineTraffic of 24h for flag changes - which means that switch would happen as she left detention.
Christian PantonPhotos on X confirms IMO number. A bit of mixed signals on the flag: Home port -> Limbe (thats Cameroon). Flag -> colors of Equatorial Guinea flag
As suggested by Sentinel-1 images: Sergey Balk is being towed by another tug. Photos by Anders Dyhrberg Bruun confirms this, as they cross the Great Belt Bridge. Towing vessel is SB-406.
Christian PantonTug Sergey Balk transitting Danish Straits with curious AIS status: Aground. Operating closely (500 meters) near other similar sized object. NATO escorts typically are at 2 NM.
Laden crude and oil products tanker ONIKS (IMO: 9439383), "not under command" in the North Sea, 48 NM from the Danish coastline. Recently started broadcasting Russian flag, after issues with operating with duplicate Cameroon MMSI. Suspected to be involved in STS operations off Kaliningrad.
auonssonFull list of tankers suspected to be involved in Russian ship-to-ship oil transfer operation by Kaliningrad last week: BHILVA, 9439383 CAI YUN, 9437983 GARASAN, 9323986 THRON, 9404948 NIGHT GLORY, 9319674 ATMOS, 9337418 PATE, 9338905
Suniel K. Sharma has been sanctioned in the 21st sanctions package. @tomi-mcc.bsky.social and my article with Bellingcat on his organisation: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/02...
The owners of CAROLINE BEZENGI have been given to end of day to salvage their leaking vessel. Otherwise Oman is threatening legal action (or perhaps taking control) From what I can tell, the communication is phrased like an advertisement for the owner of the vessel: www.instagram.com/p/DbIadtWDCc4/
Christian PantonVideo of CAROLINE BEZENGI during her lastlast visit to the Baltic in October 2025. Now taking on water and about to break up off the Coast of Oman, loaded with oil. She already appears to be leaking oil. The vessel is ~3/4 the size of Exxon Valdez. maritime-executive.com/article/oman...
Video of CAROLINE BEZENGI during her lastlast visit to the Baltic in October 2025. Now taking on water and about to break up off the Coast of Oman, loaded with oil. She already appears to be leaking oil. The vessel is ~3/4 the size of Exxon Valdez. maritime-executive.com/article/oman...
Fire of Wildberries Nevinnomyssk captured on Sentinel-2 browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu?zoom=11&lat=...
Assuming this is: IMO 9263186 (matches recent photos of the vessel) Equasis says: Equatorial Guinea flagged since June. Previously Cameroon (false). AIS broadcast as Cameroon. sketchy.boats/9263186
Kaja KallasWe’re turning up the pressure on Russia’s shadow fleet. The oil tanker MV SOUTH STAR, suspected of sailing under false flag in breach of international maritime law, has been boarded on 20 July by Operation @EUNAVFOR_MED IRINI forces for flag verification. (1/3)
Equatorial Guinea informs on the reopening of their international ship registry. Over the past months we have seen a sharp rise in shadow fleet vessels flying their flag as they pass through the Danish straits. Raises the question: Were those false flagged? Thx for the ping @tomi-mcc.bsky.social
Boxship SEPELU drifting near Brest. Been going back and forth on "Not under command". Vessel associated with Nora/Nyra/Zyra. Known for weird U-turns. Destination: Kaliningrad.
Christian PantonThe schedule reveals a new vessel of interest: SEPELU (inferred from other schedules, and by checking port logs). What is interesting, is that SEPELU earlier in the day did a U-turn near the coast of Portugal. Did they forget to turn off the stove?