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On Feb 4, the 'Sparta IV' was loitering east of Sardinia under unclear circumstances, after abruptly altering course last night and heading north. The vessel, previously assessed as bound for Gibraltar and then Kaliningrad, Russia, has been oscillating up and down the same stretch of sea for around six hours at a steady speed of about 11 knots, sailing back and forth in a close loop in the area south of Olbia in northeast Sardinia. While there was no absolute confirmation that the 'Sparta IV' was operating together with the Russian Navy destroyer 'Severomorsk' and the tanker 'Kama', the probability that the three were linked remained high, adding another layer of ambiguity to an already unusual situation. NATO assets from Sigonella remained on high alert. On Feb 5, the Italian Air Force P-72A (MM62311) was actively monitoring the Russian convoy in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Report with photos: https://www.unionesarda.it/en/sardinia/the-russian-ship39-s-strange-route-off-the-coast-of-sardinia-nato-monitors-its-movements-uarw2dh7

On Feb 6, 2026, the Indian Coast Guard busted an International oil-smuggling racket in a meticulously coordinated sea–air operation. The syndicate exploited mid-sea transfers in international waters to move cheap oil from conflict ridden regions to tankers, evading duties owed to coastal states. Acting on tech enabled surveillance and data-pattern analysis,the Coast Guard intercepted three suspect vessels about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai as part of of a coordinated operation to dismantle an international oil-smuggling network linked to Iranian petroleum flows, the 'Chiltern', 'Asphalt Star' and 'Stellar Ruby'. The 'Asphalt Star' conducted a bunkering operation with the 'Stellar Ruby', which started on Feb 7, 2026, at 03:48 a.m. UTC, and lasted until Feb 8 at 08:46 a.m. Prior to the operation, the three tankers listed different Indian ports as their destinations, before all updating their AIS destination to Mumbai on Feb 8. All three vessels were listed under OFAC sanctions. Sustained rummaging, electronic data corroboration, and crew interrogation exposed the modus operandi and a global handler network. The vessels were known to frequently change identity, and were escorted to Mumbai for further legal action. A thorough investigation, including corroboration of electronic data onboard the vessels, verification of vessel and cargo documents, and interrogation of crew members, enabled authorities to piece together the smugglers' modus operandi.

The 'Sparta IV' has disabled its AIS transponder on Feb 9. After days of "pendulum-like" movements east of Sardinia, the vessel is now officially a "Dark Ship." This move often precedes sensitive operations like Ship-to-Ship (STS) transfers or covert maneuvers to avoid public OSINT monitoring. The ship was accompanied by the destroyer 'Severomorsk'and the tanker 'Kama'. Rumors of a Kilo-class submarine (Krasnodar) operating submerged in the same convoy were heightening the stakes. The FREMM frigate 'Spartaco Schergat (F598)' haa been joined by a second unit, the 'Emilio Bianchi'. Deploying two of Italy's most advanced frigates for a single cargo ship was far from routine. Late on Feb 9, the 'Sparta IV' appeared to have gotten back underway. The AIS signal showed it sailing at better than 11 knots, and as of the evening, it appeared to be rounding Cagliari on the southern tip of Sardinia. What the vessel was doing while it was holding in the Tyrrhenian Sea remained unclear.

On Feb 6, 2026, the Indian Coast Guard busted an International oil-smuggling racket in a meticulously coordinated sea–air operation. The syndicate exploited mid-sea transfers in international waters to move cheap oil from conflict ridden regions to tankers, evading duties owed to coastal states. Acting on tech enabled surveillance and data-pattern analysis,the Coast Guard intercepted three suspect vessels about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai as part of of a coordinated operation to dismantle an international oil-smuggling network linked to Iranian petroleum flows, the 'Chiltern', 'Asphalt Star' and 'Stellar Ruby'. The 'Asphalt Star' conducted a bunkering operation with the 'Stellar Ruby', which started on Feb 7, 2026, at 03:48 a.m. UTC, and lasted until Feb 8 at 08:46 a.m. Prior to the operation, the three tankers listed different Indian ports as their destinations, before all updating their AIS destination to Mumbai on Feb 8. All three vessels were listed under OFAC sanctions. Sustained rummaging, electronic data corroboration, and crew interrogation exposed the modus operandi and a global handler network. The vessels were known to frequently change identity, and were escorted to Mumbai for further legal action. A thorough investigation, including corroboration of electronic data onboard the vessels, verification of vessel and cargo documents, and interrogation of crew members, enabled authorities to piece together the smugglers' modus operandi.

On Feb 9, 2026, U.S. military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the 'Aquila II', enroute from Visakhaoatnam, without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility in the Indian Ocean. The Aquila II was operating against the US established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. The Department of War tracked and hunted the vessel from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. The 'Aquila II' was designated by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Jan 10, 2025, as blocked property linked to Russia’s energy sector. Treasury identified the vessel as owned by Sunne Co Limited, a company sanctioned under Executive Order 14024. The vessel departed Venezuela on Jan 3, operating under the alias name 'Cape Balder' and partially laden with crude oil. Treasury has previously accused Sunne-controlled tankers of engaging in high-risk shipping practices and moving oil priced above the G7’s $60-per-barrel cap. The network has repeatedly shifted vessel names, flags, and ownership structures to evade enforcement while continuing to move sanctioned Russian, Venezuelan, and Iranian oil. Photos: https://x.com/DeptofWar/status/2020833550488965503?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2020833550488965503%7Ctwgr%5Ed10c468418c2a8971ad5c5ef5cac1960c5669e17%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraaf.nl%2Fbuitenland%2Fvs-enteren-verdacht-schip-dat-vaart-onder-panamese-vlag-in-indische-oceaan-amerikaanse-sancties-genegeerd%2F130477559.html