This week, the Greek navy extended an advisory that effectively bans ship traffic off the southeastern coast of the Peloponnese and beyond. This move aims to deter ship-to-ship transfers of Russian oil in Greek waters, according to three sources.
In recent months, Greece has been regularly issuing and extending similar advisories for military exercises in the Laconian Gulf and the waters off the island of Kithira, urging merchant and other vessels to avoid these areas.
The latest advisory has now been extended until September 15, 2024.
"It is obviously effective in preventing transfers of shipments that should not be transferred," one of the sources said, citing this as a key reason for the extension.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, international sanctions have made it challenging to trade Russian crude oil and related products. This has led traders to look for loopholes, such as offshore ship-to-ship transfers.
Recently, the waters around Greece’s southern coast and the Laconian Gulf have become frequent meeting points for tankers carrying Russian oil to transfer their cargo to other vessels.
Greek officials have previously stated that they cannot inspect vessels that carry a foreign flag in international waters. However, these naval advisories help to curb offshore ship-to-ship transfers.