At least two tankers linked to the transport of Russian petroleum products have been sailing in the Ionian Sea near Lefkada, according to information obtained by Kathimerini.
This news comes after the discovery on Thursday of a Ukrainian-made Magura V3 unmanned surface vessel (USV) off the coast of Lefkada.
According to reports earlier on Friday, the USV appeared configured for a “kamikaze”-style strike. It was reportedly loaded with active explosives and designed to collide with a target, possibly a commercial ship or oil tanker.
The tankers sailing in the Ionian Sea are not included on Western sanctions lists and are therefore not officially classified as part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which is used to transport Russian oil while circumventing Western sanctions.
However, according to reliable sources, both ships are being monitored by Western agencies over their alleged involvement in the transport of Russian oil and natural gas.
The first of the two tankers sailing in the area is reportedly carrying crude oil, flies the Croatian flag and belongs to a company based in the Adriatic city of Zadar.
The vessel departed from Trieste on Wednesday and is scheduled to arrive at the port of Piraeus on Saturday. According to available information, the tanker formally changed ownership in 2025.
In May of the same year, Ukrainian media reportedly included it on a list of at least 200 tankers said to have exported 15 million tons of oil and petroleum products from Russian ports, describing the routes as “blood-stained exports.”
The second vessel, which has reportedly been sailing near the first tanker over the past 24 hours, is a chemical tanker flying the Maltese flag and owned by a Singapore-based company.
According to maritime tracking databases, it departed from Milazzo in Sicily on Wednesday and is expected to arrive in Kalamata. “The ship is not on the list of Western sanctions, but it has transported Russian LPG in the past,” a reliable source told Kathimerini.
The informal list of vessels associated with Russia’s shadow fleet is estimated to include up to 1,500 tankers of various types. Many are known to sail with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off, while some are also suspected of transporting Iranian oil, placing them under increased scrutiny from Western intelligence and maritime monitoring agencies.
Speculation has centered on whether the USV discovered near Lefkada could be linked to potential attacks targeting ships associated with Russia’s shadow fleet.
The USV was discovered on Thursday near Cape Doukato by local fishermen, who found it concealed inside a coastal cave with its engine still running. The fishermen secured the craft and towed it to the port of Vassiliki, where it was handed over to the coast guard.