Oil tanker VLCC, acquired 2023 by the United Nations to facilitate removal of oil from the ageing and decaying FSO Safer has since been recorded in ship-to-ship transfers (STS) taking on Russian petroleum products, disclosed Lloyd’s List Intelligence’ s news update.
The exclusive update added that VLCC Yemen is essentially being used by the Houthi rebels as floating storage for Russian oil, while costs for running the vessel are still being fronted by the UN. “In early June 2025, the first cargo appeared to have been withdrawn from VLCC Yemen and lightered to Ras Isa port (controlled by the Houthi rebels)
Oil tanker VLCC Yemen was acquired by the United Nations for $55m to facilitate removal of oil from the ageing and decaying FSO Safer to prevent an environmental disaster and the removal was just one part of the operation and was completed in August 2023.
The UN, which has transferred ownership of the vessel to Yemen’s Sepoc, but is paying $450,000 per month to keep it crewed and operating, says it has protested the transfers of cargo to and from the supertanker and has no knowledge of origin or destinations of the cargoes.