Greenpeace says tanker collision involving vessel tied to Russia’s “shadow fleet” created 6-square-mile oil slick off the coast of Iran

An oil slick spanning approximately six square miles (1,500 hectares) has formed in the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Iran and the UAE following the recent collision of two tankers, the Adalynn and the Front Eagle. The international environmental NGO Greenpeace reported the news via its Russian-language Telegram channel.

Satellite imagery analyzed by Greenpeace shows the spill rapidly expanding. The image on the left, taken on June 17, shows the oil slick at 380 hectares (1.47 square miles) — within 24 hours, it had quadrupled in size. The organization warns of a potential environmental disaster in the region.

The Adalynn, a 23-year-old Suezmax tanker, is part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” — an informal network of aging vessels that are used to evade international sanctions while transporting Russian crude in violation of the G7-EU $60-per-barrel price cap, which was introduced in 2022.

Listed under its former name, Mission, the Adalynn is included in Greenpeace’s “shadow fleet” database, and Ukraine’s military intelligence reached the same conclusion. According to Ukrainian officials, the ship has previously transported Russian oil from the Russian port of Ust-Luga in violation of the G7 price cap, using tactics like disabling its AIS (Automatic Identification System) in order to avoid detection.

Despite officially reporting that it was carrying no cargo, the ship’s draft of 9.3 meters suggests it may have been transporting up to 70,000 tons of crude oil, Greenpeace said.

The origin of the cargo on this voyage remains unconfirmed. However, it was most likely transferred from another vessel. The Insider observed that between May 1 and the time of the collision, the Adalynn had been circling in the same area of the Gulf of Oman, suggesting possible ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil. Prior to that, the tanker had been docked at the port of Duqm in Oman and made periodic trips into the Gulf. The last confirmed direct loading took place at the Russian port of Ust-Luga in September 2024, after which the vessel returned to Duqm and visited several other ports in the region.

The Adalynn currently sails under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda and holds valid registration, according to data from S&P Global. Its listed owner is Global Shipping Holding Ltd, a company registered offshore in Antigua and Barbuda with a mailing address in India. However, no records of the company exist in OpenCorporates, the world’s largest open database of corporate entities.

Ship tracking data also indicate that the Adalynn may lack P&I (Protection and Indemnity) insurance, though this information is unconfirmed and may be outdated. Without P&I coverage, any liability for environmental or other damages would fall solely on the vessel’s owner — whose identity has yet to be independently verified.