Email Blunder Exposes $90 Billion Russian Oil Smuggling Ring (ft.com)
(Friday February 20, 2026 @11:05AM (msmash)
from the oops dept.)
- Reference: 0180831742
- News link: https://it.slashdot.org/story/26/02/20/1559212/email-blunder-exposes-90-billion-russian-oil-smuggling-ring
- Source link: https://www.ft.com/content/4310f010-2b3c-493e-ba0a-26dc6d156b2e
[1]schwit1 writes:
> An IT blunder has revealed an apparent smuggling ring that has [2]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.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~schwit1
[2] https://www.ft.com/content/4310f010-2b3c-493e-ba0a-26dc6d156b2e
> An IT blunder has revealed an apparent smuggling ring that has [2]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.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~schwit1
[2] https://www.ft.com/content/4310f010-2b3c-493e-ba0a-26dc6d156b2e
Good job FT! (Score:2)
by sabbede ( 2678435 )
Though I'm a little disappointed in a few nations for not noticing this first. At least someone did. Suck it Russia.
Was a certain John Baron in the loop? (Score:2)
by Mr. Dollar Ton ( 5495648 )
Or a Mr. Krasnov perhaps?
What is more suspicious (Score:2)
by UnknowingFool ( 672806 )
is they used the same email for the admin: "not_putin@phoenixtrading.ltd"
Indian, Chinese? (Score:2)
by HnT ( 306652 )
So, how many shadowy Indian and Chinese companies are enabling RuSSia according to this leak? Any Brazilians?
Is this actionable information? (Score:4, Interesting)
In the sense that governments can use this to make a tangible difference in the Russo-Ukraine war?
Also: first post!
Re: (Score:1)
> Also: first post!
shanen will be along to rate it shortly, in his inimitably rambling and off-topic manner.
Re:Is this actionable information? (Score:5, Informative)
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: (Score:2)
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.