• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
A vessel linked to Russia's "ghost fleet", sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the European Union, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ukraine, remains at anchor in the Arica anchorage zone.
According to information from ship tracking sites, the oil tanker Sauri (IMO 9266475) reportedly arrived off the Chilean coast in March of this year.
The vessel, registered under the flag of Cameroon, is dedicated to transporting Russian crude oil and petroleum products from strategic ports in the Baltic and Black Seas, violating the G7+ embargo and price cap policy, as stated by the Ukrainian government website War Sanctions.
According to Reuters, the Sauri's cargo is destined for the Bolivian market, a landlocked country that relies on the Sica Sica Terminal - located in Chilean territory - to complete its maritime hydrocarbon imports.
The port facility, operated by the state-owned Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB), has not yet serviced the vessel for unknown reasons. YPFB did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The Bolivian maritime station is often affected by unstable weather conditions in the area, mainly swells, which prevent vessels from mooring to the terminal's buoys and connecting to the Sica Sica-Arica Oil Pipeline (OSSA II).
Despite this, the oil tanker Grace Leon (IMO: 9380051) - from the United States - is currently performing discharge operations at Sica Sica. This vessel, along with the Swift (IMO: 9464376), has been in the Arica anchorage zone for over two months.
It is worth noting that Russia began supplying diesel to Bolivia in 2024 to help mitigate fuel shortages, sending at least 190,000 tons last year, as Western sanctions prompted Moscow to expand into Latin America, Reuters reported.
In late April, the Bolivian Government approved a decree allowing YPFB to make direct purchases of hydrocarbons in international spot markets, enabling it to acquire fuels without intermediaries in an effort to ensure domestic supply.
The presence in Arica of vessels linked to the Russian "ghost fleet" and subject to international sanctions is not unprecedented. In October 2025, PortalPortuario had already reported on the arrival of the tankers Symphony (IMO 9309588) and Beast (IMO 9290921), which unloaded fuel at YPFB's Sica Sica Terminal.
Through a review conducted in October 2025, PortalPortuario identified that three other oil tankers - currently under international sanctions - had also remained awaiting to operate at the Bolivian terminal. This situation occurred in June of the same year and involved the vessels Sky Rider (IMO 9208124), Prometei (IMO 9296597), and Mishell (IMO 9332315).
International Conflict
The rebound in fuel prices reflects the impact of international conflicts and geopolitical tensions, particularly since mid-February due to the war in Iran. This situation has prompted several market operators to prioritize spot transactions that offer a higher profit margin.
In April of this year, at least three oil tankers carrying Russian ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) were diverted mid-voyage from Brazil to alternative destinations, Reuters reported.
Another three tankers, loaded in April at the Russian port of Primorsk in the Baltic with 120,000 tons of low-sulfur diesel, are also reportedly adrift without a clear destination, awaiting orders, according to shipping data published by the agency.
Source: PortalPortuario
