Ukraine welcomes Albania’s ‘demonstration of solidarity’ in blocking the ‘Hanuman’ tanker, whose operator, it believes, is linked to Kremlin allies.
The Harbour Master’s Office in the Albanian port of Durres has barred the oil tanker Hanuman from entering the port after Ukraine’s military intelligence identified the vessel as part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”, which Moscow uses to transport oil and petroleum products and evade sanctions.
The Intelligence Directorate at Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, known as the GUR, welcomed Albania’s move as an example of international cooperation in enforcing sanctions and restricting maritime routes used by Moscow to export oil.
Albania’s decision not to allow the ‘Hanuman’
“Albania’s decision not to allow the ‘Hanuman’ to enter its port is an important demonstration of international solidarity in enforcing sanctions,” the GUR said.
“Joint actions by Ukraine and its foreign partners are steadily limiting the Kremlin’s ability to use maritime trade routes to circumvent sanctions, forcing the aggressor state to take responsibility for its actions,” it added.
The Hanuman was flying under the flag of Sierra Leone when it was barred from entering Durres port on August 29.
Data published by the GUR shows that since
Data published by the GUR shows that since the start of 2025, the Hanuman has transported at least 452,000 tonnes of fuel out of Russia.
Most of its voyages originated from Novorossiysk, one of Russia’s main Black Sea ports, with destinations including Turkey, Senegal, the United Arab Emirates and a ship-to-ship transfer area near the Italian city of Augusta.
The GUR claims a Russian company, Altoprae Marine, based in Novorossiysk, provided logistical support for these voyages, which it links to a manager from the circle of sanctioned Russian oligarch Gennady Timchenko, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The GUR also links Altoprae Marine
The GUR also links Altoprae Marine to the operations of vessels owned by Rosewood Shipping, which Ukrainian authorities claim is controlled by Oksana Marchenko, the wife of pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, a longtime ally of Putin.
Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” consists of a network of tankers it uses to keep its oil exports moving after Western sanctions were imposed over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
These vessels often operate under the flags of third countries and through ownership structures that are difficult to trace.
The G7 countries and the European Union introduced
The G7 countries and the European Union introduced a price cap on Russian seaborne oil in late 2022, along with restrictions on insurance, financing and other services related to its transport.
Albania, an EU candidate country and NATO member, has aligned itself with the EU’s sanctions against Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Maritime traffic data show that the Hanuman previously visited the Port of Durres in November 2025.
A BIRN investigation published in May 2026 identified
A BIRN investigation published in May 2026 identified the tanker as part of a list of vessels suspected of transporting Russian oil or grain stolen from Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia.
The vessels on the list had visited Albanian ports since 2022, raising questions about the enforcement of sanctions imposed by Albania against Moscow.
Source: balkaninsight.com
