The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service has recorded another instance of Russia using forged documents during international maritime oil transportation. In particular, this concerns the tanker PAZ (IMO 9233765), which is part of the so-called “shadow fleet” and is under sanctions from the USA, EU, UK, and Ukraine.
This is reported by Finway
Manipulations with flags and insurance
The owner of the PAZ vessel is Boom Trading Ltd, registered in the Marshall Islands. In March 2025, the tanker departed from the port of Murmansk, Russia, aiming to deliver 140,000 tons of Russian oil to China. The exporter of this cargo is PJSC Gazpromneft.
According to Ukrainian intelligence data, from 2023 to 2025, PAZ made five voyages with Russian oil to India and China, as well as four voyages with Venezuelan oil to the PRC. Since March 2025, the tanker has been using a forged flag of Curaçao. It is worth noting that the maritime registry of Curaçao has already been included in the European Union’s sanctions lists.
Forged certificates and international violations
In addition to the fake flag, the vessel claims to have an insurance certificate allegedly issued by the German company Seaguard P&I. However, there is no information in German registries about the existence of such an insurance company, indicating document forgery.
According to the Foreign Intelligence Service, Russia has previously manipulated insurance certificates. A notable case involves the Norwegian company Romarine AS, which once provided fake insurance for dozens of tankers in Russia’s “shadow fleet.” In March 2025, the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority ceased the activities of Romarine AS.
Such actions indicate a systematic disregard for international maritime transport standards by Russia’s “shadow fleet.” The use of fictitious flags and insurance certificates not only violates legislation but also creates additional risks for participants in the global oil market.