Russian Tanker Linked to Iranian Missile Shipments Drifts Near Norway’s Coast for Two Weeks

A US-sanctioned Russian-linked oil tanker associated with a shipping company accused of transporting Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia has spent more than two weeks near Norway’s Arctic maritime border, prompting heightened monitoring by Norwegian authorities.

According to The Barents Observer on November 4, the 241-meter-long tanker Padre, operating under an allegedly false Nicaraguan flag, has been moving along the Norwegian-Russian maritime boundary in the Barents Sea since late October.

The 30-year-old vessel reportedly loaded oil in Murmansk before departing Russia’s Kola Bay on October 19. Its destination and the reason for its prolonged presence near Norwegian waters remain unknown.

The tanker is believed to maintain connections to MG-Flot, a Russian shipping company linked to military shipments involving Iran and North Korea.

According to the US Department of State, vessels belonging to MG-Flot transported Iranian close-range ballistic missiles to Russia in 2024. Another company-linked vessel reportedly delivered Iranian air defense equipment to Russia in late 2025.

Maritime registry records show that the Padre, previously known as Narval, Polar Rock, and Ce Merapi, changed ownership several times before being registered to Equilibrio Perfecto Maritime in April 2026.

The vessel switched from the Russian flag to an allegedly false Nicaraguan registration in August 2026. Norwegian authorities confirmed that the tanker is under close observation.

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“Given this vessel’s age, flag and history, it is one of the vessels we are monitoring particularly closely,” Arve Dimmen, Director of Navigation Technology and Maritime Services at the Norwegian Coastal Administration, told The Barents Observer.

Murmansk is a major export hub for Russian Arctic oil, with much of its tanker traffic associated with Moscow’s shadow fleet, which is used to maintain oil exports despite Western sanctions.

Previously, on October 14, Norwegian authorities detained two cargo vessels off the country’s coast, including the sanctioned ship Ya Qing Hai Yang, which had transported equipment for Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project. The vessel was reportedly sailing under a potentially false Guatemalan flag.

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