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You've probably already heard of the “shadow fleet”: aging tankers carrying sanctioned Russian oil to foreign destinations and providing a crucial economic lifeline for Moscow.
But what's actually happening on board? Together with @dossier_center, @FTM_eu, @DelfiEE and other partners, we identified and spoke with several of Russia's so-called "watchmen" — military veterans and former mercenaries who are embedded in the ships’ foreign crews.
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What we found: a former airborne commander pretending to be a radio engineer. Sleepless nights spying on Western navigation specialists through a window. Sailors who couldn't figure out why these men were even there — only that they ate too much. The watchmen had their own complaints: bedbugs, food that was far too spicy, and sailors who transmitted information “maybe even to NATO countries.”
See what's below decks in the full story: occrp.org/en/investigation/e…
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JUST OUT: 🔴 Mercenaries and Veterans: The Men Watching Over Moscow's 'Shadow Fleet'
Read more in OCCRP Weekly, our flagship email newsletter on the latest in organized crime and corruption: eepurl.com/LUksnuLS3e
Subscribe: eepurl.com/dv_Lov
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Nomma Zarubina sentenced to 14 months in prison for lying to the FBI about her ties to Russian intelligence agency and for facilitating prostitution.
occrp.org/en/news/russian-wo…
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Lebanon's notorious “Captagon King,” Hassan Daqqou, has walked free from a Beirut prison after serving a seven-year sentence. He is still under international sanctions and his ties to the Assad regime and Hezbollah have been documented.
occrp.org/en/news/lebanon-re…
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Russia has been quietly embedding military veterans and former mercenaries aboard its sanctioned oil tankers — not as sailors, but as watchmen tasked with keeping foreign crews in line and ships on course past European authorities.
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Some sailors resented their presence. One told us the Russians contributed little, but ate a lot — "like they were coming on the holidays, enjoying a picnic." Their watchmen had grievances of their own: bedbugs, and food made by an Indian chef that they found far too spicy.
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See what's below decks in the full story: buff.ly/biiDiGt
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London authorities reclaim a subsidized flat held for years by Sierra Leone's first lady Fatima Bio even after she moved into her country's presidential palace.
occrp.org/en/news/london-cou…
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Meet the people behind the scenes who power OCCRP’s journalism.
In the latest “Inside Job” feature, we speak with OCCRP’s Head of Journalism Product Fabienne Meijer, a driving force behind the organization's audience-first, product-led newsroom.
Recently named one of Editor & Publisher Magazine’s “Tomorrow’s News Trailblazers,” Fabienne shares her insights on how the media industry can innovate, by putting audiences' perspectives and needs at the center of change.
She also shares what motivates her, the challenges facing the industry, and how she switches off.
Read more about Fabienne and her work here:
buff.ly/W3e3Bjm
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OCCRP Co-Founders Drew Sullivan (@DrewOCCRP) and Paul Radu (@IDashboard) have been named recipients of the 2026 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (@TheACFE) Guardian Award.
“OCCRP has evolved into one of the world’s most influential investigative media organizations,” writes Crystal Zuzek in Fraud Magazine.
The article charts OCCRP’s trajectory from a small regional initiative to a “global investigative powerhouse,” which Sullivan calls a “19-year overnight success.”
Read the Fraud Magazine feature here: occrp.org/assets/documents/2…
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OCCRP Co-Founders Drew Sullivan (@DrewOCCRP) Sullivan and Paul Radu (@IDashboard) have been named recipients of the 2026 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ (@TheACFE) Guardian Award.
The honor recognizes journalists whose determination, perseverance, and commitment to the truth have contributed significantly to the fight against fraud.
Sullivan and Radu say the award is “an honor for the entire OCCRP family.” They will receive the award at the 27th annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference in Boston in July.
Read more about the award here: fraudconferencenews.com/home…
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Cypriot authorities say alleged 1MDB scandal mastermind’s legal team did not oppose seizure of 6 million euro villa he bought as part of their country’s now-scrapped “golden passport” scheme.
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Press freedom organizations say the lengthy sentences demanded for Toplum TV journalists are designed to stifle independent media exposing high-level corruption.
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EU Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said alumina exports are not part of the bloc’s latest round of anti-Russia sanctions, and that an Irish Government investigation is ongoing into whether the raw material refined in Ireland is ending up in Russian weapons used in Ukraine.
occrp.org/en/news/alumina-ex…
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Nearly 300 Sri Lankan Buddhist monks have been accused of child abuse over the last three years, according to data from the country’s child protection agency that was requested by OCCRP.
Journalist @sarojpathi unpacks the reaction in Sri Lanka, where monks are deeply admired and respected, and criticism of the clergy is often viewed as an attack on the identity of the country’s Sinhalese Buddhist majority.
Read the full story here: occrp.org/en/news/child-abus…
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🇷🇺NEW: Dozens of men with security backgrounds have been quietly sailing alongside the standard crews on the tankers carrying sanctioned Russian oil. Now, reporters speak to some of these "watchmen" firsthand to learn about their roles on board.
occrp.org/en/investigation/e…
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