Russian Ghost Fleet off Gran Canaria: 12% of LNG Tankers in Canarian Waters

Three Russian gas tankers belonging to the so-called "Darkfleet" are currently positioned in the waters surrounding the Canary Islands — representing twelve per cent of Russia's entire LNG fleet. One of them, the "Buran", is sitting right at the edge of Spanish territorial waters north of Gran Canaria. The vessel is sanctioned by the EU, the US and the UK. Southern Gran Canaria, Europe's most popular winter sun destination, now faces a geopolitical threat lurking just off its coast. CITA News, your Gran Canaria news source, analyses the situation in Canary Islands waters.

Ghost Fleet: What Is the Darkfleet?

Since Western sanctions were imposed on Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has built a shadow fleet of roughly 1,000 tankers sailing under flags of convenience from countries like Gabon, Palau or the Cook Islands. These vessels transport Russian oil and gas in circumvention of sanctions — often in deplorable condition, with no identifiable owner and insufficient insurance. With the Suez Canal route blocked due to the Red Sea conflict, the tankers now travel via the Atlantic — directly past the Canary Islands.

The Canary Islands: A Vulnerable Link in the Chain

Experts have been warning for months about the growing danger. Rafael Muñoz, a doctor of civil maritime affairs and expert in maritime security, describes the situation in stark terms: the waters around the Canary Islands have effectively become a waiting zone for dubious tankers. An accident causing an oil spill off the coast of Gran Canaria would be a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions for the islands' tourism industry — comparable to the Prestige disaster off Galicia in 2002.

The problem: Spain has no unified coastguard service. The Navy patrols Canarian waters with the vessel "Relámpago", but surveillance of the vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is inadequate in terms of both personnel and technology. The tankers know this — and deliberately move along the edge of the 12-mile zone.

Morocco as Hub, Las Palmas as Gateway

In early 2026, another incident raised alarms: a tanker from the Moroccan port of Tangier docked in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Experts suspect that Morocco is being used as a transit point for Russian fuel — the country lacks significant refining capacity but has become a regular stop for Russian-linked tankers. The origin of the cargo remains formally Russian, even when rerouted through third countries.

What Does This Mean for Tourism in the South?

For Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés and Mogán, the ghost fleet represents an abstract but very real threat. An oil spill would not only destroy the beaches and the iconic dune landscape but would also undermine the safety image that Gran Canaria has been building as a "Refuge Effect" destination in the context of the Iran conflict. The Canarian government and maritime experts are calling for a more active role from the Spanish Navy and European coordination to monitor the Darkfleet in Atlantic waters.

For more on the security situation in the Canary Islands, visit Canarias7.