Germany for the first time did not allow a Russian shadow fleet tanker through its territorial waters
Germany did not allow the Russian tanker Tavian to pass into the Baltic Sea through its territorial waters. This was reported by Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Photo: Marinetraffic
On the morning of January 10, the German Federal Police stopped a vessel sailing under the flag of Cameroon, due to suspicions of false registration and the use of a forged identification number. During the inspection, it turned out that it was a 27-year-old so-called "zombie tanker," which had already changed 13 names during its operation. Previously, it was known as Tia and Arcusat.
The tanker planned to pass through the Baltic Sea to St. Petersburg, where large oil terminals are located. German authorities dispatched a helicopter to the vessel and demanded identification documents from the crew. The inspection confirmed violations, and Tavian was denied entry into German waters.
After this, the vessel turned north and, according to Starboard Maritime Intelligence, is now moving towards the Norwegian Sea. From there, it's not far to Murmansk — another Russian oil port.
Germany first took notice of Tavian in December 2025, when the tanker was leaving the Baltic Sea. At that time, the German maritime safety service stated that this was the first recorded instance of a "zombie tanker" appearing near the country's shores. However, they could not stop it because the vessel was in international waters. After that, it headed towards Turkey.
According to Kieler Nachrichten, the tanker departed Primorsk with approximately 100 thousand tons of Russian oil. The publication noted that the technical condition of the vessel was very poor. The tanker was built in 1998 at a shipyard in South Korea for the German company Reederei Nord and was originally named Nordmark.
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