Tanker of Russian shadow fleet explodes off Libyan coast

The oil tanker Vilamoura, which, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate, belongs to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” has burst into flames off the coast of Libya.

Bloomberg reports this.

The explosion on board occurred on June 27, when the tanker left the Libyan port of Zuetina and was heading to Gibraltar. An explosion occurred in the engine room, after which a fire started on the vessel. There were about 1 million barrels of crude oil on board the tanker.

The operator notes that Vilamoura is sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands. At the same time, the Main Directorate of Navigation reports that the vessel has been repeatedly used to transport Russian oil products, in particular, in April 2025, the tanker was in the port of Ust-Luga, and in May it was recorded near Novorossiysk.

As of July 1, the Maltese-flagged fire tug Boka Summit is towing the damaged tanker to Laconia Gulf in Greece to assess the vessel’s condition.

Recall that the European Union approved the 17th package of sanctions against Russia , introducing restrictions on almost 200 ships of its shadow fleet. The new restrictions are also aimed at hybrid threats from Russia and the protection of human rights.

Subsequently, the UK announced the expansion of the sanctions list against Russia . In particular, more than 100 new sanctions targets were added to it.

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