Russia’s Shadow Fleet Tanker FINA A Hit in the Black Sea

On June 16 and overnight on June 17, Ukrainian forces struck the tanker FINA A, part of Russia’s shadow fleet.

The extent of the damage is currently being clarified, the General Staff of Ukraine reported.

The vessel is under sanctions by the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ukraine.

The tanker was used to transport oil and petroleum products on behalf of the Russian Federation to circumvent international sanctions and restrictions.

According to the VesselFinder online ship tracking service, the tanker was located between the Russian cities of Anapa and Novorossiysk.

The vessel is 244.6 meters long and has a gross tonnage of 62,002. In August 2025, it transported nearly 100,000 tons of Russian oil from the Sheskharis terminal at the port of Novorossiysk to Dakar, Senegal. The cargo was shipped by the sanctioned company Rosneft.

The European Union imposed sanctions on the tanker on May 20, 2025 (effective May 21, 2025) for transporting crude oil and petroleum products originating in or exported from the Russian Federation. Ukraine also imposed sanctions on the vessel on December 13, 2025, and on Vapor Xunardito, the vessel’s captain, on February 21, 2026.