Gray fleet oil tanker explodes near Malaysia

07:25 04 May Kyiv, Ukraine

Near Malaysia there was a fire and an explosion on a tanker, which belongs to the so-called "gray fleet". These tankers are used to circumvent international sanctions imposed on sanctioned countries.

Over the past five years, the tanker Mockingbird has changed its name several times, raising the suspicions of the authorities.

As a result of the explosion, the deck of the tanker was destroyed, and three crew members were missing.
"A fire on the upper deck destroyed our antenna, none of the communications were working, and the lifeboats were destroyed, so the crew was forced to jump into the water in rescue residents. They were picked up by ships," the captain told local media.
The Malaysian Maritime Agency (MMEA) reports that 25 people have been rescued, including Russian sailors.. There was no oil on the tanker.

The Mockingbird tanker is suspected of violating the sanctions regime. He was probably transporting oil from Iran to China.