With extensive coverage in Journalist Yannis Bazaios of the Journalists' Newspaper highlights the issue of Russian-origin oil transfers between tankers in the Gulf of Laconia, just off the west coast of Kythera, an activity that poses an extreme environmental risk to the wider area. Read the report below:
As oil and refined fuels of Russian origin continue to be transferred with undiminished intensity to the south of the Peloponnese, two NAVTEX (328/23 and 330/23) have closed most of the Messinian Gulf for the whole of 2024 (for aircraft firing exercises) and for a few days during the Easter period (from 1 to the afternoon of 9 May) the international waters in the centre of the Laconian Gulf have been reserved for naval exercises (NAVTEX 378/24).
As expected, the temporary ban pushed the oil tankers further south - not only for temporary parking until the exercises are completed - but also for transfusions (Ship to Ship) with an even greater risk of a maritime accident in the open sea west of Kythera or a spill of oil products in the wider area, as the weather there is no joke and the companies supporting the transfusions seem not to comply with all safety standards (e.g.e.g. closing of hatches on deck, floating barriers, etc.).
In an article published this year on 3 May, Bloomberg links the activity of these tankers to the closure by Denmark of a shipping lane through which Russian oil has been transported since the war in Ukraine and describes the Gulf of Laconia as a «key point» for the exchange of cargoes between ships, as around 25% of refined oil imported into Europe is of Russian origin, as is a significant proportion of crude oil.
The «Eph.Syn.» has warned from the summer of 2022 for the «Laconian Knots» with the laundering of Russian oil in Greece and the «Government cover-up on oil smuggling» (17.5.2023), as well as many other international media. Many of the ships involved are elderly with unclear insurance status (information from «Eph.Syn.» refer to the absence of insurance in most cases and risky practices in STS procedures without full compliance with MARPOL regulations).
Huge profits
Ship-to-ship (ShipToShip/STS) transshipment of crude oil in international waters is an old practice and many Greek or Cypriot companies specialise in providing logistics services, personnel, tugboats and special security balloons, earning significant sums for their assistance in hiding the country of origin of the cargoes.
Navy sources suggest that a resumption of the Gulf of Laconia blockade is being considered, in order to reinforce to the parties involved that Greece will not continue to facilitate such practices, but so far there has been no decision on the matter.
The satellite tracking (AIS) of the oil tankers is an irrefutable witness to the illegal activities that continue in the area, as we recorded at a random moment yesterday afternoon, from the tanker ATACAMA (IMO 9248801) flying the flag of Panama, which set off loaded with crude oil from the port of Ag. Petersburg with an intermediate destination of Kalamata and after transferring its cargo to the 332-metre long beastly SPRITE (IMO 9252333) flying the flag of Antigua Barbuda, which remains as a «mother» in the area, the ATACAMA now declares its destination to the port of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea.
In the wider area west of Kythera several oil tankers were recorded yesterday, such as the GLYFADA (IMO 9253234) flying the flag of Gabon, the ZEFIREA (IMO 9607643) flying the flag of Italy, coming from the Russian port of Primorsk, the IBLEA (IMO 9244441) also flying the flag of Italy and carrying cargo from Primorsk, the BUTTERFLY (IMO 9273246), flying the flag of Liberia, the MYTHOS (IMO 9314894), flying the flag of Gabon, the HANA (IMO 9353113), flying the flag of Gabon, with cargo from Novorossiysk, the DELTA MED (IMO 9412309), flying the flag of Liberia, with cargo from Novorossiysk (now bound for a French port), the LPG tanker KILBURN (IMO 9664938) flying the flag of Singapore and carrying cargo from Turkey, the JUPITER I flying the flag of Palau, the well-known PATMOS WARRIOR (IMO 9337418) flying the flag of Liberia, the SAVIR LION (IMO 9306639) flying the flag of Indonesia, the VENUS I (IMO 9599353) flying the flag of Palau, the CLEAN IMPERIAL (IMO 9376854) flying the flag of the Marshall Islands and carrying a cargo from Novorossiysk, PETRONILLA (IMO 9292838) flying the flag of Panama and carrying cargo from the port of Tuapse in the Black Sea, YELLOW TRADER (IMO 9292840), NORTHERNLIGHT (IMO 9577123) awaiting a buyer and many more parked for a while in the area, creating conditions for the... The West's hypocrisy in making decisions on sanctions against Russia, while leaving wide open «holes» to maintain the flow of oil, ignoring the risks to the environment.
The whole area is problematic for such activities, as even in the centre of the Gulf of Laconia ships have no protection from the weather, while the same is true to a greater extent in the open sea west of Kythera and in case of an oil spill a large part of the area will be destroyed.
Bell from the «Cosmos» of Peter Kokkalis
It's obvious that an accident during an oil transfusion between tankers could have an extremely adverse impact on all coastal areas from Gythio to Neapolis Voion or Porto Cayo.
This danger is highlighted by the recent autopsy carried out in the Laconian Gulf by Petros Kokkalis, MEP and re-candidate with the party «Cosmos», which is running in the June European elections with an environmental stigma.
A few hours before the start of the NAVTEX in the Gulf of Laconia, the Green MEP and party secretary, Petros Kokkalis, accompanied by the candidate MEPs Evdokia Tsagli, Christina Efthymiatou and Beatrice Semakoula, carried out an autopsy at the site where the transfusions take place and in his statements he pointed out that this is an illegal activity linked to the smuggling of Russian oil and held the Greek government accountable, accusing it of baptizing smuggling as «common practice internationally» and refusing to take action.
