Ukrainian strike wracks Elbus tanker off of Turkish Black Sea coast
On 8 January 2026, the Palau flagged oil tanker Elbus, described by maritime sources as part of Russias shadow fleet, was attacked in the Black Sea off Turkeys port town of Inebolu. As reported by Reuters and Turkish media outlets, while on route to Russia she was struck by an unmanned surface vessel transiting international waters before seeking assistance from Turkish Coast Guard for protection.
Naval News reported that Elbus later anchored at Inebolu so the Turkish Coast Guard could inspect and assess damage, while also providing security against further attacks. Elbus is thought to be part of a network of ageing tankers operating under flags of convenience to transport Russian oil while evading Western sanctions - often sailing without standard protection and disabling AIS transponders in order to conceal their movements.
Ukrainian forces have continued their maritime campaign against Russian naval units by targeting commercial shipping that supplies Russia energy exports. Naval News notes that Ukrainian Sea Baby unmanned surface vessels targeted tankers Kairos and Virat on 28 November in a region near where one had been disabled by fire; an Elbus attack further highlights this increased operational risk for shadow fleet tonnage transiting Black Sea ports into Russian ports.
U.S. forces seize Marinera (formerly Bella 1) in North Atlantic
On 7 January 2026, U.S. military and Coast Guard forces boarded and seized the Russian flagged oil tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Britain in an operation which has renewed attention on Venezuela-linked shadow fleet. U.S. European Command informed that Marinera was operating using deceptive practices including flying false flags; she was considered stateless, subject to seizure order issued by U.S. authorities.
Video and reporting indicate that the tanker, previously sailing as Bella 1 and initially refusing a U.S. Coast Guard boarding attempt in the Caribbean before altering course and changing to Marinera while hoisting Russian flags - an action analysts deem intended to deter enforcement action by authorities. On 7 January a joint U.S. boarding team composed of Navy and Coast Guard assets intercepted and took control without casualties reported from either vessel.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt identified Marinera as a Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel which transported sanctioned oil, and confirmed that its crew would face prosecution, rejecting Russian government calls for special treatment and rapid repatriation of Russian national seafarers. Michelle Wiese Bockmann from Windward told media outlets that corporate records show an ownership transfer to Russian company Burevestmarin LLC which serves as registered owner, ship manager, and commercial manager; further evidence of opaque structures commonly employed across this fleet segment.
Concerns continue to rise over armed guards and dark fleet crew practices.
The Marinera case has raised serious concerns in NATO and Nordic Baltic capitals regarding the composition and behavior of crews aboard dark fleet tankers. Michelle Wiese Bockmann reported that governments in Nordic Baltic 8 plus grouping (alongside NATO partners) have become concerned over reports of unauthoritied personnel and irregular armed guards being aboard sanctioned tankers; such practices were typically associated with transiting through high risk piracy regions such as Gulf of Aden or Red Sea transits.
Bockmann pointed out that dark fleet crews tend to be multinational in composition, often employing Russian masters alongside seafarers from China, India or the Philippines. Authorities are increasingly willing to hold individuals responsible when deception is involved. Bockmann highlighted several recent European cases in which the European Union sanctioned a captain who failed to abide by orders from Estonia's naval vessel Jaguar and French prosecutors charged another master who refused to justify his ships flag when intercepted as suspected dark fleet tanker in October 2025 in the Atlantic. These actions, says Bockmann, suggest an increase in commercial-military activity by shadow fleet vessels as well as increased enforcement action taken by coastal states against these activities.
Second U.S. Boarding related to Venezuelan Sanctions Evasion Network
Naval News reported on 9 January 2026, U.S. forces boarded another vessel associated with Russias shadow fleet and Venezuelan sanctions evasion, this time near Venezuelan waters. American forces seized two tankers within roughly 24 hours - one off Scotland connected to Marinera operations in the North Atlantic, and another near Venezuela linked with Russias shadow fleet and transporting sanctioned crude.
Due to limited information being made public regarding the second tanker's identity and flag, these dual operations indicate a coordinated U.S. effort to disrupt logistics supporting Russia and Venezuelan oil exports that depend on opaque tonnage. These seizures come on top of previous U.S. Treasury sanctions against oil traders and tankers accused of aiding Maduro government evade sanctions as part of a broad campaign intended to raise costs and risks associated with shadow fleet participation.
Taken together, the Ukrainian strike on Elbus, Marinera's seizure in Caracas area, and growing concerns regarding armed security teams are clear indicators that shadow fleet operations are facing both physical threats and tighter legal enforcement. Owners, charterers, insurers, and coastal states are now reassessing risk profiles of tankers operating under flags of convenience - likely demanding higher transparency standards and tighter due diligence as sanctions become tighter.