Although the emergency happened outside Malta’s SAR zone, Camilleri said it attracted significant public attention and required regular updates. The ships passing Malta every dayAccording to a Mediterranean maritime security expert who spoke to MaltaToday on condition of anonymity, ships belonging to Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ travel around Malta constantly. Shadow fleet vessels are typically older tankers, sometimes more than 20 years old, that would otherwise be nearing retirement. The sanctions loophole at seaThe shadow fleet emerged after sweeping sanctions were imposed on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. But many shadow fleet vessels operate outside this system.

Source: Libya Today March 08, 2026 15:42 UTC