Russia’s Shadow Fleet in NATO Waters Under Fake Documentation
Dozens of tankers from Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ have been freely passing through NATO waters in the Baltic Sea using fake insurance certificates. This was revealed following a large-scale investigation conducted by the Danwatch Research Center and the Danish public broadcaster.
The report uncovered that 76 Russian tankers used fraudulent insurance certificates. These documents were issued by a shell company, Ro Marine, which pretended to be Norwegian but was, in fact, Russian.
The company had only one person on its board of directors—a member with Bulgarian citizenship. Ro Marine is owned by 41-year-old Andrey Mochalin, who has worked in the Norwegian insurance industry for many years and currently resides in St. Petersburg.
There is no evidence to suggest that Ro Marine had any substantial backing beyond its certificates. Aside from its registration in the Norwegian Business Register, there is no indication that the company has any actual presence in Norway. Its website is managed from St. Petersburg, and its logos and graphics are created by a Russian design agency.
The investigation found that the insurance certificates were issued based on a fake license from the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA), allegedly obtained in 2016.
Moreover, in 2024, Ro Marine did not exist. In March of this year, Norwegian police launched an investigation into possible sanctions circumvention. Mochalin and two other Norwegian businessmen involved with Ro Marine have been charged.
As Gaze reported, German customs seized the Eventin tanker from Russia's ‘shadow fleet’ along with approximately 100,000 tonnes of crude oil worth €40 million.
Read more on Gaze: Can the West Curb Russia’s Shadow Fleet?