Russian oil tanker lost control off the coast of Africa
The vessel «Progress», which has been sailing under the Russian flag since autumn 2025 (and previously under the Panamanian flag), found itself in a difficult situation off the coast of Algeria. According to information from Bloomberg, the tanker is under sanctions for transporting Russian oil.
Tanker «Progress»
The «Progress», an LR2-class tanker, was moving east along the North African coast towards the Suez Canal. On board were approximately 730,000 barrels of Urals crude oil. However, after the vessel passed Algeria on Wednesday afternoon, it suddenly changed course, turned north, and moved out of shipping lanes.
Following this, the tanker transmitted a signal indicating loss of control, and its speed decreased to approximately one knot. According to tracking system data, by midday Friday, the vessel continued to slowly drift eastward at the same minimal speed.
It is assumed that a technical malfunction on board was the cause of the incident.
According to the international shipping database Equasis, the managing company of the tanker «Progress» is Legacy Marine LLC, registered in St. Petersburg.