Aframax

Aframax, the shipping term for medium-sized crude oil tankers carrying roughly 80,000 to 120,000 tonnes, is drawing increased search interest, particularly in the Netherlands. The term is commonly used in oil shipping and freight markets. The specific event prompting the current spike in attention is not evident from available reporting.

The Liberia-flagged crude oil tanker Aframax Rea has reportedly been struck in the Black Sea near the Russian resort city of Sochi, with the ship said to be burning. The vessel is described as part of Russia's so-called 'shadow fleet', and the strike is attributed to possible naval drones amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The tanker Midvolga 2, which caught fire off the coast of Sochi after a reported Ukrainian sea drone strike, has been identified as a sanctioned vessel from Russia's shadow fleet. According to open-source tracking, the Aframax-class tanker repeatedly exported Russian oil in 2024-2026, including from the ports of Novorossiysk and Taman, circumventing Western sanctions. The incident has drawn attention to ongoing attacks on Russian shadow fleet shipping in the Black Sea.