Just before dawn on March 11, a ship pulled into the shallow Russian port of Kavkaz, nestled in a small bay in the Black Sea. The Russian-flagged Vladimir Monomakh waited for a while before another, the Greek-owned Minerva Emily, arrived. After it came alongside, the crew carefully siphoned off the Russian oil tanker’s cargo onto the other 25,000-tonne vessel.
Shipping analysts say this “ship to ship” switch can have the effect of disguising Russian oil. By transferring the cargo to the Minerva, which is owned by a Greek shipping tycoon and flies the Maltese flag, the origin of the oil may be hidden.
The Minerva transported the oil to Greek waters, more than 1,200 miles away — from where it was destined for export across
