When the US government sanctioned a major Russian leasing operation in August 2022, Shipping Company Idel moved quickly to pull its general cargo ships from the blacklisted financier.

By the end of the month, the low-profile Idel had signed deals to buy its vessels out of the leases with GTLK, legal documents show.

Still, the US State Department sanctioned Idel Shipping’s vessels for the sale-and-purchase transaction that allowed it to end its connection with GTLK, leading the Russian shipowner to file an appeal that would not be resolved more than a year later.