Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Voyager

In a significant development, Japan has received its first cargo of Russian crude oil in more than two years, delivered by the sanctioned tanker 'Voyager'. This vessel is currently subject to sanctions imposed by both the United States and the European Union. The shipment, consisting of 600,000 barrels of Sakhalin Blend crude, was taken on by Taiyo Oil Co., a Tokyo-based refining company. The oil was loaded at the Prigorodnoye terminal on May 25, 2025, and the 'Voyager' arrived at Kikuma port on June 9 to discharge its cargo. Previously known as the 'Vernadsky Prospect', the 'Voyager' is one of 161 tankers that faced sanctions from the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under President Joe Biden in January 2024. The EU followed suit, placing the vessel on its sanctions list in February. Despite the ongoing sanctions, Japan has managed to secure waivers allowing imports of Sakhalin Blend crude, citing national energy security concerns. This waiver, recently extended in the EU's 17th sanctions package on May 21, remains valid until the end of June 2026. An accompanying US waiver, which authorizes similar imports, is anticipated to be extended beyond its expiration date of June 28. Notably, the delivery was facilitated at the request of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), as a liquefied natural gas (LNG) initiative, which relies on the crude oil from the same extraction process, would have faced significant disruptions without this transportation.