Email Blunder Exposes $90 Billion Russian Oil Smuggling Ring

schwit1 writes: An IT blunder has revealed an apparent smuggling ring that has moved at least $90bn of Russian oil and is playing a central role in funding the Kremlin's war in Ukraine. Financial Times has identified 48 seemingly independent companies working from different physical addresses that appear to be operating together to disguise the origin of Russian oil, particularly from Kremlin-controlled Rosneft. The network was discovered because they all share a single private email server. The report adds: The FT was able to identify 442 web domains whose public registrations show they all use a single private server for their email, "mx.phoenixtrading.ltd," showing that they share back-office functions. The FT was then able to identify companies by comparing the names in the domain to those of entities that appear in Russian and Indian customs records as involved in carrying Russian oil.

Is this actionable information?

[Charlotte]

In the sense that governments can use this to make a tangible difference in the Russo-Ukraine war?

Also: first post!

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Also: first post!

shanen will be along to rate it shortly, in his inimitably rambling and off-topic manner.

Re:Is this actionable information?

[RobinH]

There are estimated to be about 1000 ships in the shadow fleet, who are moving oil from sanctioned countries to other countries willing to buy it (think China and India, but also others). In order to operate, these all have insurance that's mostly backed by Russia, etc. Until recently nobody knew if the insurance would actually pay out. But over the last month we've seen Ukraine actually attack some tankers, and the US chased down a couple carrying Venezuelan oil (one even sailing under a Russian flag), and most recently India said they'd confiscated a shadow fleet tanker, and then deleted their announcement, but it's a big deal. With all this happening, the shadow fleet was already in danger of evaporating now that the threat of losing your ship is actually real, and the insurance payouts aren't really guaranteed. This news about the email server isn't going to move the needle that much, as it was already moving pretty fast in that direction.

Re:

[ArchieBunker]

Depends on which country decides to take action. We know cheeto will get a phone call from Putin and this will be a simple misunderstanding. The EU however might have some balls.

Re: Is this actionable information?

[kenh]

Curious, how many tankers full of Russian oil did sleepy joe's administration seize?

The EU has balls? You do understand several EU countries are/were buying natural gas from Russia ever since the war started? Remember when Trump said Germany should stop buying gas from Russia, and the EU leaders all laughed at him?

I don't think the situation is as simple as you want to make it.

Re: Is this actionable information?

[znrt]

possibly beause he seems less interested in the actual (true) facts than in using them to uplift trump and demean biden (*1). that's a guaranteed reflex trigger for any fan of both mutually opposed but fundamentally equally noxious us oligarchies, and you're guarranteed to find plenty of both but more of the latter here.

*1 given his goal, it's logically irrelevant to him that most of the few tanker seizures under trump had little to do with russia's oil trade, and a lot to do with the currency employed in oil trade in general, and public perception.

btw, eu countries have no way around buying russian energy, nor does it appear that they will in the near future. their only concern is doing it in a way they can deny.

Good job FT!

[sabbede]

Though I'm a little disappointed in a few nations for not noticing this first. At least someone did. Suck it Russia.

Re: Good job FT!

[OrangeTide]

This leak is says more of the failure of the West to stay on top of the attempted embargo. Trying to squeeze Russia tight enough to end the Ukraine War is not working.

Re:

[sabbede]

Not without the help of FT's reporters, apparently.

Re:

[PPH]

Trying to squeeze Russia tight

More like "gently fondle and stroke."

Re:

[Chungus]

The EU has continued to purchase billions in Russian Fossil fuels, and has continued to do so every year since the Russia-Ukraine conflict started. Source: https://energyandcleanair.org/ [energyandcleanair.org]

Re:

[OrangeTide]

The asset freezes were real, and hampered Russia's ability to get paid for oil. But basically no change in the amount of gas purchased by Europe.

The propaganda of course has told people, at least in my country, that we were going to sanction Russia and force them to negotiate. Most of us know it's bullshit of course.

Was a certain John Baron in the loop?

[Mr. Dollar Ton]

Or a Mr. Krasnov perhaps?

Re:

[Bu11etmagnet]

Or a Mr. Krasnov perhaps?

Unlikely. He's been dead for almost 80 years [wikipedia.org]

What is more suspicious

[UnknowingFool]

is they used the same email for the admin: "[e-mail]"

Indian, Chinese?

[HnT]

So, how many shadowy Indian and Chinese companies are enabling RuSSia according to this leak? Any Brazilians?

India, really?

[Dishevel]

Such a surprise that India is involved in this.
NOT.

oil from the same russia

[k3v0]

the regime invited to join the "Board of Peace" after they invaded Ukraine?

Well, this is curious (quick DNS analysis)

[Arrogant-Bastard]

DNS records show nameservers for that domain at Wild West, hosting at Amazon, and inbound mail at Outlook (Microsoft). But outbound email is likely originating from three SPF record-listed hosts at "FLEX TR Bilisim Sanayi Ticaret Ltd. Sti.", which owns 185.207.3.0/24 and is located in Turkey. Given that Turkey is a member of NATO, I presume that some very pointed questions will be asked shortly.

It would be interesting to know what the 442 domains are.

Re:Well, this is curious (quick DNS analysis)

[thegarbz]

Turkey was a major purchaser of Russian oil up until just 2 months ago, and even now still gets a shitload. There just aren't enough shits to give for NATO to even send an email question to Turkey over this.

Also even if they did the answer is of course obvious:
1. Deny any government involvement.
2. Find a token person and throw them in jail as a fall guy.
3. Talk about what an awesome partner you are having cracked down an international oil smuggling ring operating from in your country.
4. Startup a new secret domain.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

And their Entra ID tenant is out of MS global Europe (48ecbda6-79e8-420c-b301-4eb1887cf3d2) which makes sense.

An admin is getting ready...

[CyberSnyder]

...to see if he can fly. But won't be of high enough recognition to make the Wikipedia Suspicious Russian Deaths page.

Terrifying!

[SlashbotAgent]

Do you have any idea how many companies are hiding behind .mail.protection.outlook.com?

Russian Doll or Onion??

[commoncause]

The layers are being peeled away.