An Irish Air Corps surveillance plane was dispatched earlier this morning to an area off the west coast as two Russian "shadow fleet" tankers were detected travelling through Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), according to flight and vessel tracking data seen by RTÉ.
Flight tracking data shows an Irish Air Corps C-295 surveillance plane left Casement Aerodrome at around 1030am for an area off the north coast of Mayo. It turned off its visibility to civilian flight tracking systems for two hours before reappearing south of Kerry later in the afternoon.
Two 'shadow fleet’ ships have been operating off the west over the last 48 hours.
One of the shadow fleet vessels, currently named the Karol, entered Ireland’s EEZ from the south, off Kerry, on Sunday. The other, currently named the Tavian, entered from the north yesterday and has been travelling down the Atlantic coast over the last 24 hours.
The Karol was sanctioned by the United Kingdom in September as part of a package of measures aimed at reducing Russia’s sources of revenue for its invasion of Ukraine. The vessel was also targeted by sanctions imposed by the United States in January 2024. It has yet to be sanctioned by the European Union.
Tracking data shows it taking an unusual zigzag route north past the west coast.
The other vessel, the Tavian, has been referred to as a so-called 'zombie tanker' for its use of a fabricated International Maritime Organisation identification number. The phrase refers to ships which operate under the ID number of other ships which have been scrapped or deregistered, in an attempt to bypass initial detections or evade sanctions.
It has not broadcast under its true identification number or name – the Tia – since October 2024, according to Lloyd's List, the British shipping journal. The vessel most recently departed the Russian port of Primorsk in the Baltic Sea on December 7.
Shadow fleet tankers are often old, poorly maintained, and lack proper insurance, increasing the risk of accidents such as oil spills. Some have also been linked to subsea cable damage, in particular in the Baltic Sea.
Data obtained by RTÉ News in July showed that at least 245 shadow fleet vessels had travelled through Ireland’s EEZ in the first seven months of this year.
As of May 2025, vessels travelling through European Union exclusive economic zones, including Ireland’s, are required to provide proof of valid insurance even if they do not enter a port, meaning Ireland has the legal capacity to question and request such documentation from the two tankers.
In response to a query about the activities of the ships and aircraft, the Defence Forces said it does not comment on specific operational matters.
The Karol and the Tavian are due to depart Ireland’s EEZ later today. The Karol has not declared a destination, while the Tavian’s data indicates it is heading for Turkey.
