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Tanker Burning off Khor Fakkan Had Shadow Fleet Ties

Adalynn's AIS trackline shows that she made multiple trips to and from Ust-Luga, Russia over the past year (Pole Star)
Adalynn's AIS trackline shows that she made multiple trips to and from Ust-Luga, Russia over the past year (Pole Star)

Published Jun 17, 2025 9:58 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

One of the two vessels involved in a serious collision in the Gulf of Oman yesterday is linked to Russia's "dark fleet" of sanctions-evading tankers, according to Bloomberg. AIS data confirms that the tanker Adalynn was a regular presence on the route from Ust-Luga, Russia to Vadinar, India, where Russian state oil company Rosneft co-owns a gigantic refinery. 

Adalynn and the tanker Front Eagle were in collision at a position about 22 nm off the coast of Khor Fakkan, UAE early Tuesday morning (local time). The impact sparked fires aboard both vessels; Front Eagle's crew was able to extinguish the blaze aboard their ship, but Adalynn's crewmembers did not have success in containing the fire. They abandoned ship, and all 24 were safely rescued by first responders. A widely-circulated video shows that the Adalynn continued to burn later in the day. 

The collision jolted shipping and security analysts, as it occurred against a backdrop of active hostilities between Israel and Iran, and was within an area where Iran has targeted shipping before. Despite concerns, both Frontline and the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center confirm that it was a "navigational incident," and was unrelated to regional tensions.

"There is no indication that this incident is the result of hostile activity resulting from the ongoing regional conflict. Local authorities are dealing with the incident. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO," the center advised.  

The incident is the latest casualty involving a suspected "dark fleet" tanker. AIS data provided by Pole Star shows that over the past year, Adalynn operated on a back-and-forth rotation between the Russian Baltic and northwestern India, by way of the Red Sea. She made three recorded transits through the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb over this period, despite the risk to shipping from Yemen's Houthi rebel militia, which was attacking merchant vessels at the time. 

On or about December 15, 2024, Adalynn pulled into the port of Duqm, Oman and moored at a large ship repair yard in the harbor. She departed again in April, relocated to an anchorage off Khor Fakkan, and stayed there until the day of the collision with Front Eagle. She was in ballast condition - not carrying a Russian cargo - at the time of the casualty. 

Adalynn's owner and manager is based in Mumbai, and the company operates two aging tankers - Adalynn, flagged in Antigua, and Carcharodon, which is sanctioned by the United Kingdom for moving Russian oil. Both Adalynn and Carcharodon are sanctioned by the government of Ukraine for involvement in Russia's shadowy oil trade. 

TankerTrackers.com notes that Adalynn was previously sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for violations related to Venezuela's oil trade. The Adalynn was removed from the U.S. sanctions list after a change in ownership in 2024.