Russia’s "Derzhava" sneaks into Norwegian waters
Eight months after it was attacked by a Ukrainian drone in the Black Sea, a shadow tanker sailing under the name Derzhava ("great power") sailed only few kilometres south of Norway’s Bear Island in the Barents Sea.
The Derzhava (IMO 9290385), previously known as the Elbrus, sailed through the territorial waters of the Bear Island on 7 July. According to ship-tracking services, the 274-metre-long shadow tanker is en route from India and is due to arrive in the northern Russian port of Murmansk on 9 August.
Bear Island is located north of the Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone, and ships sailing in the area are generally not required to report on matters related to safety, security, or marine environmental protection.
The sailing pattern could indicate that the ship has something to hide. According to OpenSanctions, an open-source database, the tanker does not have Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance.
The Derzhava was added to the EU’s sanctions against Russia in April 2026.
In early January this year, the tanker was attacked by Ukrainian drones in the Black Sea. The engine room was damaged by what was reported to be an unmanned surface vehicle. The ship returned to service shortly after the attack.
This is not the first time the 21-year-old tanker has sailed in Norwegian territorial waters. In May this year, the ship followed the same route south of Bear Island on its way to and from Murmansk.
According to Arve Dimmen, Director of Navigation Technology and Maritime Services at the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the Vardø VTS maritime traffic control centre is keeping track of the vessel.
"From the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s perspective, the vessel poses an increased risk compared with ordinary traffic should it navigate close to the Norwegian coast or in waters with heavier traffic," Dimmen says in a comment to the Barents Observer.
He adds that Norwegian authorities will take no action beyond monitoring as the ship is sailing outside the Norwegian EEZ.
Dimmen also explains that shadow vessels are increasingly venturing further out to sea, presumably to avoid areas subject to reporting requirements.
The Derzhava has changed its name, flag state, and registered owner several times over the past two years. Between February and April this year, the ownership and management were reported as "Rptd Sold Undisclosed Interest" by the shipping information system Equasis. This term is used in shipping records when the buyer or seller is not publicly disclosed.
According to a new report from the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the shadow fleet operated by Russia is posing a growing threat to security and the environment along the Norwegian coast.
"The risk of accidents—and consequently also of environmental damage—increases if vessels do not comply with international standards for technical equipment and manning," the new report states. "This, in turn, leads to a higher probability of engine failure, navigational errors, and accidents."
The report also explains that many of the vessels lack sufficient insurance and warns of the potentially devastating consequences in the event of an accident.
The Coastal Administration also warns against a growing trend of AIS tampering, which it says impairs situational awareness and increases the risk of accidents.
According to the report, there were 251 voyages along the Norwegian coast by sanctioned vessels. Many of them failed to respond to requests from Norwegian authorities, and some even submitted invalid documentation.
"Between 11 August 2025 and 31 January 2026, requests were sent to 238 vessels. Of these, 194 vessels submitted a CLC certificate. Forty-two of the certificates were deemed invalid, mainly due to a false flag state," the report reads.
