Russia renames some oil tankers due to US sanctions - Bloomberg

 Bloomberg reports.

Sovcomflot PJSC was sanctioned in February as part of measures from the US to mark the second year of the war in Ukraine. Fourteen of its tankers were also added to the Treasury Department’s list of named vessels, bringing the total number of them designated to 21.

So far, at least four tankers have changed their names and reflagged to Russia from Gabon, according to data compiled by Bloomberg: NS Columb has a new name Kemerovo, NS Bravo - Belgorod, NS Captain - Kaliningrad and NS Creation - Krasnoyarsk.

In addition to assembling a shadow fleet of ships to transport its oil while under western sanctions, Russia has relied heavily on Sovcomflot’s giant tanker fleet to keep its oil moving. The company remains the world’s largest owner of Aframax-class tankers, each capable of hauling about 700,000 barrels of oil, according to Clarkson Research Services Ltd., a unit of the world’s largest shipbroker, Bloomberg reports.

"Tankers often change names after being sanctioned in order to distance themselves from listings on sanctions databases, although they remain identifiable by unique and unchanging numbers registered with the International Maritime Organization," the article says.

• On February 23, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Russia's leading tanker group Sovcomflot to reduce Russia's oil revenues, which are used to fund the war against Ukraine.