Russian Dark Fleet Ship Carrying Radioactive Cargo East of Fuerteventura

The bulk carrier Matros Shevchenko—a regular transporter of raw uranium from Togo to Russia—was observed on the eve of the Epiphany just a few miles east of Fuerteventura, according to maritime‑traffic analyst Springbok1973 on X.

“The endless stream of maritime chaos that Spain allows in its #EEZ delivers yet another spectacular episode of neglect and irresponsibility. The government doesn’t even know who is sailing in its waters,” the analyst wrote.

Springbok1973 notes that this is not the vessel’s first passage through the waters east of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. In this instance, the ship avoided the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) between the islands in order to conceal the nature of its cargo, classified as IMO 7 – radioactive.

The analyst rhetorically asks whether naval intelligence is monitoring this especially sensitive traffic. “How is it possible that there isn’t a stationary BAM (Maritime Surveillance Asset) actively tracking these incidents?” he wonders.