The Latvian ship Zircone, suspected of breaking Russian sanction and posing an environmental threat to Baltic Sea has during last 36h been inspected by SE fighter jets, coast guard and navy.
Right now, the Liberia-flagged tanker Suez Enchanted is about to do a ship to ship transfer with Zircone. Her last port is Primorsk, Russia and I suspect this is where the fuel comes from, which would make this even more illegal. Yet to be proven. @TankerTrackers
There is a Swedish naval vessel an hour north of the two tankers. It is most likely a Visby-corvette and they made an almost 180° turn around two hours ago.
About to document coming STS-operation?
Zircone has continued doing ship to ship transfers during day. I think too much, will return with stats.
No more open visits by mil units or law enforcement.
* It is unusual to not see daily sanctioned tanker arrive to Baltic Sea, usually a few each day.
But, the last 4 days lull ismight be explained by weather: Atlantic storms, low temperature and an increasingly frozen Gulf of Finland.
The ice is growing thicc around Russia's Baltic oil terminals.
Ice data outlets list a bunch of ice-breakers in service, but other sources have stated Russia lack capacity to keep the ice-sensitive rust-bucket tankers in play.
ASTROL 1 is a largely flat cargo ship with hatches that likely would serve well as drone pads.
She is a similar model to SCANLARK, recently apprehended by German authorities on drone suspicions and to PORT OLYA 4, drone import ship on Iran trade. Sunk by Ukraine.