The previous owner of the vessel was the sanctioned PSB Leasing LLC (TIN 7722581759), a subsidiary of PJSC Promsvyazbank (TIN 7744000912), which is a systemically important state-owned banking institution of the russian federation that finances the defense industry of the russian federation, services significant volumes of state defense contracts of the ministry of defense of the russian federation, and provides banking services to the russian military, in particular mortgage loans.
MG-Flot LLC is affiliated with Astrakhan businessman Pashayev Jamaldin Emirmagomedovich, who built his business around the commercial port of Olya in the Astrakhan region. This very place was proposed as a key logistic hub of the international transport corridor "North-South", the creation and construction of which was supervised and controlled by former russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. The key purpose of the transportation corridor was trade with sanctioned Iran, which could import and export goods via the North-South route. This can thus explain the provision of Iranian oil trade by a fleet of tankers affiliated with a bank controlled by Pyotr Fradkov.
Owned by the sanctioned russian maritime shipping company MG-Flot LLC (formerly Transmorflot LLC). In May 2022, USA imposed sanctions on Transmorflot LLC and its vessels involved in the transportation of weapons for the russian federation.
As part of the sanctions imposed on Promsvyazbank in February 2022, USA imposed sanctions on five vessels (including the vessel Pegas (now Veronica), which were owned at the time by PSB Leasing LLC, a subsidiary of Promsvyazbank.